I Would Still Have Loved You - pro and ch 1
by Slaymesoftly
Summary: A what if fic in which Buffy and Spike are sent back in time (separately, and unbeknownst to each other) from sometime not terribly long after "Chosen". Think AtS season five. Their mission is to prevent Glory from opening the portal and thus prevent Buffy's death and reincarnation; thereby preventing the rise of the First Evil. For whatever reason, they both end up in Season Four.
1. Chapter 1

**I WOULD STILL HAVE LOVED YOU…**

 **Prologue**

"You want me to what?" Buffy stared at Giles in disbelief, her expression telling him that their relationship was not yet as mended as he'd like to think.

Giles squirmed and rubbed his forehead.

"I know this is asking a lot of you… especially after the events of the past year… But the coven and the other surviving Council members think this might well be the answer."

"Then why don't they go back and do something about it," Buffy snapped. "Why me?" She stared at Giles steadily, then said, "Just so you know, there isn't much that's happened in last _three or four_ years that I'd be interested in reliving. Never mind this one." She closed her eyes briefly, an expression of pain on her face, then opened them again. "Exactly what do they expect me to do? It's not like I wasn't trying to beat Glory the first time around!"

"You would be facing her with so much more knowledge this time… You would know, well before the… end… what she was, how to avoid her, and… how to kill

her."

"Yeah, okay, Troll hammer for the win. But that was still a tough fight, and… and people got hurt and died…"

"There is another way…."

"Buffy stared at him blankly for a second, then her eyes got wide. "You want me to kill Ben? An innocent human who just happened to have a hellgod in residence?"

"Well, no. I realize that would not be your first choice. However, if it came down to his life or yours, I can assure there are several of us who would have no issue with it."

He didn't meet her eyes, which were narrowed in suspicion. Buffy knew she had left Ben gravely injured but alive when she ran to save Dawn. They'd never discussed the fact that once beaten out of him, Glory had not returned, even though she was probably capable of doing so.

"And just who would those people be… aside from you?" She watched him flinch and knew she had her answer to that question.

"Well… you do know some… people… who would have no qualms about it. One of them might have some difficulty, but I understand now that he would have been more than willing to sacrifice himself to save you."

"You want me to get Spike to kill Ben. Spike, whose head would probably explode if he was even able to fight the pain long enough to do it."

"Spike is an option, obviously. He is… was… quite a resourceful vampire. Perhaps he could arrange for another vampire or demon less… handicapped… to do the deed for him. It would definitely be worth asking. Based on his fortitude in withstanding Glory's torture, I suspect he would do almost anything to earn your affection and… gratitude… at that time."

"I'm sure he would," she snarled. "I'll just go back and offer him my body if he kills Ben. That sounds like a plan! I can imagine the conversation now: Hey, Spike, if you just do me this one little favor, I'll have sex with you. Assuming you survive it…"

Giles flinched again. "Rather crudely put, Buffy. I simply meant that he would do whatever you liked if it meant he could spend time in your company and perhaps have a chance to earn your affection."

Buffy shut her eyes in pain again, remembering "…all I'm asking… just a crumb…" She shook her head. "I'm not asking Spike to risk his life for a chance at something I wasn't going to give him back then."

Giles sighed and nodded. Buffy's glare made it clear it wouldn't be a good idea to remind her that she was going to make him a big part of her life eventually.

"There is another vampire…."

Her eyes went wide. "Angel? You want me to ask Angel to kill?"

Giles grimaced. "Angel, soul and all, is not quite the hero you would like to think he is. As evidenced by his current status as the head of the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart. I've no doubt that he would take care of the problem for you if asked."

"Wow. Just… wow, Giles." Buffy stood up. "Let me think about it for the rest of the day. I'll let you know."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"You want to send me back to where? When?" Spike glared around the room at Angel and his friends. "I just bloody well got here! In the I'm-not-a-ghost-and-I can-touch-things kind of way. And now you want to send me back to Sunnyhell? Where I got a chip stuck in my brain and—"

"And where you met Buffy and became… friends… with her," Angel said stiffly.

"There's that," Spike admitted. He gave Angel a toothy grin. " _Friends_ , huh? Is that what they're calling it these days?" The answering snarl made him grin wider before remembering what was being asked of him.

"So, let me get this straight, you want me to go back to Sunnyhell before it all fell apart, and prevent Glory from opening that portal so Buffy doesn't have to jump, she doesn't die, doesn't get dragged out of her grave, and the First Evil never has a chance to rise like it did."

"Basically," Angel said. "You'd be saving… well not the world, I guess, but Buffy for sure. And all the people who died at the hands of the First Evil's minions, including all the potentials killed by the bringers."

"And preventing all the other potentials from getting their powers and giving Buffy a chance to have a life." Spike raised a sardonic eyebrow. "I'm not sure she'd see it as all that good an idea."

"So, you'd rather she died? "

"Don't be a git. Of course not. Don't want her havin' to live through that year after her meddling friends brought her back either. Never want to see her that down again… or with that much of a death wish. Even if it meant I'd never…" He shook himself. "So what's the plan then? Your new employers have time machines?"

"Not quite." Gunn spoke up at a nod from Angel. "But they do have some thing pretty close to it. Needs a bit of help from magic, but…." He shrugged in Wesley's direction.

"But Oxford there knows the right words?" Spike looked skeptical.

"I have the right sources," Wes said, looking humble and confident at the same time.

"So all I have to do is say 'yes' and we're good to go?" He snorted. "What if I say 'no'?"

"Then we'll throw your ass in there anyway and you'll be on your own," Angel growled. "We're going to do this, Spike. If it was Buffy's death that allowed the First Evil to rise, then she can't die."

"It wasn't her death," Wesley said softly. "She'd already died briefly once and broken the slayer line. But those few seconds weren't enough to register with the Powers. It's her resurrection after months of being genuinely dead and in… wherever slayers' souls go—"

"Heaven," Spike interrupted. "Are you afraid to say it? She was yanked out of Heaven and that caused all sorts of uproar in the good vs evil world." He looked around at their determined faces. "Fine. Let's do this, then—" He stopped himself. "I won't have that damn chip, will I? And I'll still have my soul?"

"I don't know why not," Wes answered, making it clear who was really in charge of the situation. "You'll be going back just as you are. Probably while the other you is in South America, so there will be no disruption when old you goes missing."

"Dru might notice," Angel said, rolling his eyes.

"Doubt it. Time it to anytime after I left her to go back for the Gem, and she'll never know. I was gone anyway after that. Didn't see her again except for a short visit she made the next year."

Wes made a few notes and nodded. "I'll let you when we're ready."

"Can't wait."

 **Chapter One**

 **"** Oh this is just awesome. I'm here ten minutes and I have to fight Spike when he has the Gem of Amara."

Buffy rolled her eyes as the smirking vampire approached. She was still flustered about having arrived in the midst of facing Parker, with no idea if she'd made a fool out of herself yet or could salvage the situation. The look on his face told her she had, but she recovered quickly, calling him an asshole who was lousy in bed, and sending him hustling off with his new girlfriend. She turned back to Spike, who was just as obnoxious as she remembered.

"Poor Slayer. Dumped again. Just can't seem to hang on to a man, can you?"

Buffy cocked her head at him. "I'll do okay once I find one worth holding on to," she said. "Shouldn't you be on fire now?"

"Oh my! How did I not notice the sun's out? I wonder if I'll freckle?"

Buffy sighed. _I'd forgotten what a pain in butt he was._ "So, are we going to do this or what?"

He looked disappointed. "We aren't going to exchange insults first?"

"I'm busy, Spike. I've got a lot of stuff to do today to catch up on… never mind. Let's just have our fight and get it over with."

She pulled out her stake to prove she meant business, driving it into his unprotected chest and praying that he was wearing the ring. Which he obviously was, laughing when the hole healed up right before her eyes. He snapped two quick punches to her face, driving her back against a table. Reminding herself that this was evil, unsouled and non-Buffy-loving Spike, she leaped at him, but instead of punching him she grabbed for his hand and wrestled the ring off. It was a toss-up which of them seemed most surprised, although Spike had no time to wonder about it as he began to smoke and had to run for the shelter of the woods nearby.

"Damn, that was stupid," Buffy muttered to herself. "Now he's going to wonder how I knew where it was. I should have waited until he got cocky about it."

XXXXXXX

As he retreated into the woods, Spike was also muttering to himself. "How the bloody hell did she know what finger to grab? She didn't even give me time to beat her up or show her what I could do—" He stumbled, then stood up and glanced around the woods with a groan. "And now my ring'll be on its way to the big poof. Thirty seconds here, and I've already fucked up. This is gonna go well…"

He lurked in the cave where he'd found the ring, noting the gold coins and other gems and shaking his head at himself. "I could have been the richest vamp in town if I hadn't gone running off to LA to try to get that ring back. This time I'm going to spend some of this money." He loaded his pockets with some of the loose gems and gold coins before leaving when the sky darkened.

He muttered to himself as he wandered toward Giles's apartment. "Reckon I'd best do my spy on the Slayer thing, so I know when wolfboy takes off for LA. Maybe I can waylay him before he gets there and snatch my ring back. Having it would be a big help when the soldiers show up. I'll be buggered if I give them a chance to chip me this time. Means no excuse to have Angel tortured, but wouldn't want to bring that sadistic old child molester here anyway. I'd just have to kill him myself."

Satisfied he was making the right decision, he lurked outside the apartment, finding to his surprise that Buffy had no intention of sending the ring to Angel. She shook her head at Giles's insistence that it be destroyed, saying, "I might need it someday…"

 _Well that cocks things up a bit. Now to figure out how to pretend I'm chipped without actually letting those bastards near me._

XXXXXXXXX

A week or so later, when a pale, shaking Spike showed up at Giles's door, begging to be allowed in before he caught fire, Buffy shocked everyone by immediately pulling Spike into the room.

"Buffy! What are you—"

"It's okay, Giles. I think he's got information we need… about those commando guys. Don't you, Spike?"

He gaped at her, forgetting for a second that he was supposed to be weak and starving. _This isn't how it went the first time. What the hell?_ When she narrowed her eyes at him, repeating, " _Don't_ you, Spike?" he snapped out of it and tried to sound like his newly chipped and starving self.

"Right. I've had a run-in with a pack of over-fed soldiers and mad scientist types. Don't know what they did to me, but Spike can't play with the other puppies anymore."

"Meaning?" Buffy tapped her foot.

"Meaning, I can't bite anybody. Can't feed. Feels like my head's gonna explode if I even think about it too hard."

"Huh. Can you prove that?" Xander spoke from the safety of the other side of the room.

"Ask the witch. I tried to bite her and I couldn't."

"You tried to eat Willow? Give me one reason I shouldn't throw you right back out that door!"

"I didn't do it! And I didn't go there looking for her anyway. I was looking for you. Thought you set me up for those ninjas wannabes and was gonna—" He stopped himself, but Buffy had no doubt what he'd started to say.

"And you were gonna what?" She poked him in the chest, knocking him back a little. "What were you gonna do if I was there? Huh, Spike? What?" She kept poking him, hoping to make him trigger the chip and prove he was harmless.

Forgetting he was supposed to be weak and helpless, Spike's fangs dropped and he snarled back at her, leaning forward as if he wanted to bite.

"I was going to rip your throat out for being such a coward that you'd use soldiers to capture me. What the bloody hell do you think I was there for?" Buffy's eyes narrowed as he showed no ill effects from what should have been a headache inducing action. She stood firm and glared right back at him.

They stood face to face for a full minute, never breaking eye contact as anger faded to confusion and then to a mix of disbelief, fear, hope, and complete bewilderment. They backed away from each other, still holding each other's gaze. Buffy put her hand to her mouth to muffle her "Oh my god", and Spike's face softened back into his human mien. "Bloody hell…." he breathed softly.

Giles frowned as he watched them staring at each other in what was undeniably shock rapidly morphing into awe and then into a tentative, hope-tinged excitement.

"Both of us? How is that possible?"

"Who cares? It's bloody brilliant! That bitch doesn't stand a chance now."

"But, how… who?"

"You first, love. How and who?"

"The Council – what's left of it. And Giles—" She remembered who was watching them and whirled to face him. "Um Giles. Giles who is here and he's not…."

"He's not amused by watching you trade incomprehensible and highly alarming conversation with William the Bloody."

"Um… no. No of course you aren't. And I'm not… not conversing with Spike. He just… and then I … but of course it's crazy and—"

"What the Slayer is trying so eloquently to say, is that she expected me to leave Sunnyhell once she got those soldiers out of her dorm room and I escaped them... again. She's just a bit surprised to see me."

"That hardly explains why she let you into my home," Giles said stiffly, picking a stake up off his desk. "Nor why we shouldn't take advantage of your presence to rid the world of a dangerous vampire."

"No, Giles!" Buffy placed herself in front of Spike. "Spike has… he's been in those labs. He can tell us about the commandos and what they're doing down there. And, and he's harmless—"

Spike went into game face just long enough to make sure Giles had seen it, then screamed and fell to the floor holding his head. He lay there, moaning until Giles had put down the stake and asked Buffy, "What's wrong with him?"

"Um… the soldiers… or their boss, I guess, put a thingie in his brain. If he tries to bite anybody, it hurts him… really bad. So he's helpless, see? He can't hurt us and he can't feed himself, so we have to… to feed him and find out what else he knows about the commandos."

"How do you know all that?" Giles gave Buffy one of his glares that meant he was well aware she was hiding something from him.

"I, uh, I ran into him last night. Just for a second or two, but I told him it wasn't me that put the soldiers on him and he told me what they did to him… more or less. I mean, it's Spike, so he doesn't know… and then he got away, so he didn't see that much. But he saw some stuff, so he needs to stay here until we've learned everything we can from him."

Giles glanced down at Spike who was sitting up rubbing his head, but no longer wearing his fangs. He chose not to point out that what Buffy had just said directly contradicted Spike's excuse for why she was surprised to see him.

"What will we do with him?"

"Well… don't you have some chains we can put on him? Or… we could just tie him to a chair…"

Spike's snarl was real and Buffy cuffed him across the back of his head, "Shut up, Spike," she said, the warning clear in her voice. His muttered, "I've got it, Slayer," told her he realized they were going to have to play out the events as they occurred until they could talk about what was going on. She relaxed as he stood up and stared at the chair she was pointing to. With a sigh, he sat down and put his arms behind his back. Buffy tied him with a piece of rope Giles pulled from the weapons chest. She did it as quickly and comfortably as possible, but couldn't resist a soft stroke of her thumb over his wrist. He responded with his own quick squeeze to her fingers.

Satisfied that she hadn't imagined what she was still trying to convince herself was possible, she whispered, "We'll talk about this as soon as we can. I've got to be ready to fight pissed-off Indians now."

"Can we just avoid the arrow to the chest and the bear this time?" he muttered before noticing that Giles was frowning at them again. "Ow! Take it easy, Slayer. I'm delicate," he said in a louder tone.

Buffy's snort of disbelief was genuine as she stood up and walked over to Giles. "Let's get this show on the road," she said.

"Show? Do you mean the rather large meal you have taken over my kitchen in an attempt to show off your, up until now invisible, culinary skills?"

"Oh. Right. Yes. Thanksgiving dinner. That's what we were doing. C'mon guys. Let's get back to work."

"You're just going to leave the evil undead sitting here?" Xander spoke up for the first time since Spike had come into the apartment and sent the Scoobies all retreating to the far side of the room. Only Willow seemed willing to be in the same room with the vampire, and in fact, was edging her way in his direction.

"He'll be all right there. He's tied, and I'm right here if he tries anything." Buffy glanced at Willow who was staring at Spike with clear confusion. "Wills, did he really try to bite you and couldn't?"

"Um, yeah, he did. I already told you about it. But I just thought… I mean it was you he wanted, he was just settling for me… He was really nice about it, but I knew it was you he really wanted."

" _Nice_ about it?" Xander stared at Willow as if he'd never met her before. "This is Spike. Willow and Xander-napping, broken bottle to the face, Spike!"

"Well, he was even sort of nice then," Willow said. "Off and on, when he wasn't being terrifying… I guess that's not helping, huh?" She gave Spike a quick glance, surprised to see him smiling softly at her. A smile he quickly dropped when he met her gaze.

"Wouldn't have hurt you," he muttered. "You were my insurance that the Slayer wouldn't kill me before I got the book you needed to do my spell."

"You knocked _me_ out!" Xander said. "And I lost my girlfriend because of you."

"Didn't bite you, did I?" Spike met Xander's glare. "And I didn't make you decide to pass the time snogging Red. That's what cost you the cheerleader – who was way out of your league in the first place, by the way."

Xander picked up the stake and stalked toward Spike. "Buffy, I'm going to dust him. You're okay with that, aren't you? I mean, listen to him. He's—" He froze, his eyes going wide. "How did you know that? That Willow and I… and Cordelia saw… How did you know that? You weren't even there – and you never came back until—"

"Look! Indians!" Buffy shouted, pointing the arrow sticking out of wall. "Everybody find something to hide behind before I can…. do whatever I need to do to get rid of them," she finished with a weak smile at Spike.

In the chaos that followed, everyone forgot about Spike's seeming knowledge about something that happened while he was fighting vampires in the magic shop with Buffy and Angel. When she'd banished the bear and the other ghosts began to disappear, she went to the door, pulled it open and said, "I've got this, Angel! Go back to LA!" She slammed the door before he could respond and turned to face the surprised looks. Only Giles's obvious embarrassment indicated that he'd known of Angel's presence. Buffy just glared at him, her "Really, Giles?" not making sense to anyone but him and Spike.

Giles just shrugged. "It seemed best you not know. I was trying to spare your feelings."

"FYI, in the future, worry less about my feelings and more about keeping things from me that I probably need to know." She didn't explain what she meant by that, only walking to the kitchen. "Now let's get this meal on the table before something else interrupts it."

Spike's steady growl during the meal, as he sat tied to his chair with an empty plate in front of him, had Buffy kicking him under the table. He gave her a glare, but subsided and went into the whining about having something to eat that he'd done the first time around.

This time, Buffy stomped to the kitchen and came back with the raw turkey neck and innards that had been in the sink. "Here," she said, slapping them down on his plate. "Now shut up."

He gave her a very real snarl, but maintained his role as a starving vampire by lowering his mouth to the plate and swallowing whole the raw liver and kidneys. He looked up at the sounds of disgust from around the table and flashed Buffy a grin before biting into the neck and growling as he shook it.

Buffy's sigh and rolling eyes were meant only for him, as she ducked her head to smother a smile.

XXXXXXXXX

It was only much later, when Giles had driven the Soobies home, that they had a few minutes in which to talk about their situation. Some minutes of which were wasted as they shared soft caresses to assure themselves that the other one was really there. Buffy had untied his hands, but left his legs tied to the chair in case Giles surprised them.

With her hand resting on Spike's cheek, Buffy asked, "How did you get here? I saw you burning up." She dropped her hand. "And what was that 'No you don't' crap? I spend all that time denying I love you, and when I finally say it, _you_ go into denial. You let me think you died believing I was lying!"

Ah, no, love." He leaned forward and took her hands in his. "I'm sorry, for that. I was being stupid. Just wanted you to get out of there before it all fell in, and was afraid if we had some big romantic moment, you wouldn't go. Not one of my better decisions maybe, but my intentions were good." He pulled back to meet her still-angry gaze. "And you did get out, didn't you? So it worked. A few more seconds and you never would have caught that bus."

Buffy blinked. "How do you know about that? Have you been looking down on us from… heaven… or something?"

He shrugged. "No, the big poof told me how everybody got out. Just before he told me I was insane to think you could possibly…. Never mind. The short version is I got sucked into the amulet somehow and popped out a few months later in Angel's fancy new office. Was just a ghost for a while, couldn't touch anything or go anywhere except that building. Knew you were all right, and that you were in Europe somewhere, but that's all he would tell me."

"Asshole," she muttered, adding quickly when she felt his flinch. "Not you. Him. For not calling me. Ghost or not, I'd have been there as soon as I could." Her eyes searched his. "You know that, right? I would have come to you if I'd known."

He nodded. "Do now. At the time, I just figured I was stuck like that and maybe it was just as well you were thinking I was a dead hero."

"I prefer my heroes alive," she said, bringing his hand to her face and nuzzling it. "Or ghostly… I could have handled that… I think." She sat back on her heels. "But you aren't a ghost now, so what's the deal?"

"The deal was to send me back to… to make sure that hell-bitch doesn't make it close enough to the portal date that you have to jump. Or if she does, that I find a way to keep you from jumping. Or from coming back if you do… but that's not my idea of a good fix," he growled before continuing. "It seems it wasn't your death that allowed the First to get so strong, it was your resurrection and the forces of darkness involved in that. So, no dead Buffy, means no resurrected Buffy and no First Evil." He sighed. "That's what Oxford and the love of your life think, anyway. And as soon as I was solid, they figured yours truly was the one to send back to fix it." He looked around the room and nodded at his tied feet. "I don't think I was supposed to end up quite this far back though. Seems like a bit of overkill, doesn't it?"

"Oxford? And, just so you know? Right now I don't think I even like Angel very much, so forget that 'love of my life' stuff."

"Oxford. Ex-watcher. Said he knew you."

"Oh, Wesley. Wesley sent you back here?"

"It was a group effort, but he did the mumbo jumbo part."

"Wow." Buffy sat back on her heels. "Just when you think you know somebody…"

"What about you, love? What are you doin' here? Wanted another shot at having a normal life with Capt' Cardboard?" His voice was light, but she could hear the uncertainty behind it.

Before she could respond, Giles had opened the door and started into the room. He froze when he saw them, then pulled out a stake, hesitating as neither of them seemed inclined to move.

"Oh," he said, letting his arm drop. "You're all right, Buffy. I thought perhaps he'd got loose and you were trying to kill each other."

Buffy blushed and stood up. "We were just exchanging insults with less yelling than before. I'm going to get Spike some more turkey blood before I leave."

She brushed past Giles and hurried to the kitchen. He remained standing in the doorway, studying Spike and frowning. He couldn't see from his position that Spike's hands were being held behind his back, clutching the ropes that had been holding them.

"What? Have a grown a horn in the middle of my forehead or something?"

Giles shook his head and kept running his eyes over the noticeably nervous vampire. "No. But there is something very off about you. Something quite different from the other times I've seen you."

"Don't think we've actually spent enough time together for you to know me at all, Watcher. Buffy might know me that well, and maybe even the witch, but not you. You know nothing except the drivel in your old books." Spike settled back against the chair. "You know nothing," he repeated.

"I know there's something going on between you and my Slayer," Giles replied in a cold tone of voice. "And I don't like it."

"Sod off, old man," Spike said. "Slayer's not a little girl for you to order around anymore."

Buffy came back with a mug of blood and glanced back and forth between a visibly angry Giles and a defiant Spike.

"Didn't you guys place nice while I was gone?" She tried to ignore the tension in the room as she knelt and held out the mug for Spike to sip from.

"When you are finished here, I wish to speak to you, please," Giles said. He gave Spike one last glare and turned his back on the scene of his slayer feeding a vampire that had killed two of her sisters, stomping into the kitchen and putting the teakettle on.

"Well, that seems to have gone downhill in a hurry. What did you do?" Buffy said quietly enough that Giles wouldn't hear.

"Me? Nothing!" Spike took a deep draw from the mug and swallowed before he continued. "Your watcher isn't a stupid man, love. He knows something's up with us – and he thinks I'm different."

"He doesn't know you well enough to think you're different. He hasn't figured me out yet, and he hasn't seen you since you were in a wheelchair, has he?"

"Not that I'm aware."

"I guess you don't look as wasted as you did the first time around, but he doesn't know that. I wonder if he can see the soul?"

Spike shrugged. "Well he knows something's up. We're going to have to be careful. And what's he… the he that's running the Council years from now… have to do with you being here?"

"Well, kinda the same reasons as Angel and Wes had, I guess. The First and his minions really trashed the old Council, and wiped out a lot of Potentials. They figure if we take out Glory before she builds her tower, then I won't be resurrected and the First won't rise." She frowned. "Which is going to kinda change everything… including us."

"It can't change us if we're already here, can it?"

"I don't know. This time travel stuff makes my brain hurt." She looked at him with wide eyes. "What if it does change us? If I don't have to die and come back as depresso-girl, I might not go to you for… whatever… and then we—"

"It's not gonna change how I feel about you, Buffy. I was already half-way in love with you when we were in this position first time around." At her rolling eyes and disbelieving snort, he added, "I was when I wasn't wanting to rip your throat out because I thought I hated you. Dru saw it. She said you were floating all around me. Thought she meant I was too obsessed with killin' you, but now I wonder."

"But _I_ didn't love _you_! Except during that spell of Willow's, which we need to talk about… I guess I have to let it happen again."

Before she could continue, Giles returned to the room. "Buffy, If you can tear yourself away from William the Bloody, I need to speak with you."

They looked at each other. "Should we just tell him?"

"Don't know, love. Nobody gave me any bloody instructions. Didn't expect to be here this early on."

"Giles didn't tell me what not to do either – he just said to get you or Angel to kill Ben if I wouldn't do it myself. But I don't think he meant for me to come back this soon. I thought I was going to show up sometime next year and all I'd have to do is get rid of Glory and keep her from getting Dawn."

"Reckon we'd best tell the Watcher what's going on, then. Before he gives himself a stroke over there…" He flashed a look at Giles who was once again turning red as he tried to understand what they were talking about.

"Okay, let me just finish untying you."

"Huh, I thought we'd a chance to play some games while you had me tied up," he said, leering at her.

"Behave yourself." Buffy blushed as she stood up and moved back. "Speaking of giving Giles a stroke…. "


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

When Buffy turned to walk toward him, a freed Spike right behind her, Giles grew pale and then red again as his temper rose. He drew in his breath with a hiss when Spike put his hands on Buffy's shoulders and leaned in to say, "Best make it quick, love. I think he's about to lose it."

"Buffy, step away from Spike. Spike, take your hands off my slayer."

He clutched his stake again, blanching when Buffy tilted her face up to Spike's and smiled as she whispered back to him. Spike's deep chuckle only made Giles's face even paler.

"Buffy! Are you under some sort of spell?"

"No, Giles, that won't happen for another day or two—but we do have something to tell you, so you should probably sit down."

"I think I shall remain standing, if you don't mind," he said stiffly, holding the stake in his hand in the manner of someone who'd ended more than one vampire's existence.

"Fine, we'll sit then." Buffy walked to the couch, followed by Spike, who kept a wary eye on Giles and his stake. They sat down, close enough to be obviously sitting together, but not close enough to give Giles anything to complain about. He followed their progress with a hard stare, then swore under his breath and sat in the chair opposite them.

"This had better be extremely good," he said, his cold expression as much for Buffy as Spike. "I'm trusting there is an explanation for this inexplicable behavior on your part, Buffy."

"Do you want the whole long story from the beginning, or just the bottom line?"

"Tell me what I need to know. You can fill in details and answer questions later."

"Okay. Well, as far as what I'm doing is concerned…. If you think Spike, who you hardly know yet, seems different, I can't believe you haven't noticed anything different about me. My hair? My face? Do I look like the eighteen-year-old girl I was a month or so ago?"

"Well you certainly aren't acting like her," he said, letting his arm drop to his side but keeping his grip on the stake. "And I hardly try to keep track of your hairstyles…" He stared at her for several minutes, allowing himself to really see and acknowledge for the first time that the girl in front of him was thinner, more worn-looking, and much more self-confident than the nervous freshman girl he'd been used to. "Are you not Buffy, then? Are you some sort of shape shifter, or a robot—" Spike's cough and Buffy's subsequent elbow to his ribs interrupted him.

"I _am_ Buffy. But I'm Buffy from 2003. You… future you… sent me back here to prevent something really bad from happening, but I think the spell got messed up. I shouldn't be here till sometime next year."

"And William the Bloody? Why are you so willing to trust him? And why is he so free with his hands around you?"

"You're on, Spike. Make it good."

"Right. So here's the really odd part of this—"

"More odd than Buffy's having been sent back in time? Which, by the way, until I learn more about it, I am only potentially accepting as the truth."

"Well, it's a bit along the same lines, actually. I was sent back from that same year, but by Angel and one of his minions."

"Angel has minions? Dear lord, has he lost his soul again, then?"

"Lost it a couple of times if I understood some of the talk," Spike muttered, but at Buffy's "Spike! Don't call them minions" he shook his head. "But not this time. He's all souled up and trying to prevent the same thing you… future you… sent Buffy back to prevent. Wes is his go-to guy for magic. Being an ex-watcher and all…"

Giles shook his head. "Wesley Wyndham-Price is working with Angel?"

"And so's Cordelia and some other people I don't really know very well," Buffy said. "The point is, Spike got sent back here to prevent the same thing I was sent back for. But neither one of us knew the other one was going to be here, so we have a lot of catching up to do while we figure out how to do it."

"I understand sending a slayer of Buffy's caliber back here, but what are i _you/i_ expected to do about this really bad thing?" Giles almost sneered at the vampire.

"I'm here to kill a hell-god's human host if that's what needs doing," Spike said, his flat stare daring Giles to argue about it.

"Dear Lord," Giles repeated, the stake falling from his nerveless fingers. "You've been sent back to kill someone."

"So the Slayer doesn't have to," Spike reminded him. "And it's the human host of a hell-god that wants to open a portal and go home without shutting the door behind her. Don't get all dainty on us, Watcher. Future you had the same idea—he just wanted Buffy to get you or me, or even the big poof to do it if she wouldn't. "

Giles rose to his feet and somewhat unsteadily walked toward the kitchen. "I believe I require a drink."

"I'll take some of that Glenfiddich, if you don't mind."

"I _do_ mind." He hesitated, then sighed. "But if you've really just arrived from some future time, I imagine you could use a drink also." He glared at Spike over his shoulder. "Shall I attribute your knowledge of what I have in my cabinet to your having some experience with it?"

Spike smirked at him, but didn't respond. Giles poured two glasses of scotch and carried both the glasses and the bottle back into the living room. He set the bottle down and handed Spike one of the glasses.

Giles took a large swallow of his drink, before saying, "I believe I'm going to need to hear those details now. From both of you. Buffy, you go first."

When Buffy had finished her brief recital of the following year's events, culminating in her dive off the tower, Giles was on his second glass of scotch. He glanced at Spike, who was sitting quietly and sipping from his own glass. "You were helping her then? And she still had to jump?" Spike's ashamed expression and whispered "Promised to protect the Bit, but I failed" made him blink in surprise.

"You did what you could," Buffy said, rubbing his arm and leaning into him briefly. "We've been over this. It was what it was. Not your fault."

Giles tried to ignore the obvious affection in Buffy's tones and actions as he focused on what she'd said about jumping off a tower and into an open portal.

"You look surprisingly healthy for someone who, if I'm understanding you correctly, has jumped through a magic portal suspended some distance in the air."

"I died, Giles," Buffy said without inflection as she turned her attention back to him. She waited for him to digest her words. "I _died_ to close that portal, and you guys buried my body in a back corner of Restfield,"

Giles looked at Spike for verification and the anguished look on the vampire's face told him Buffy wasn't lying.

"And yet, here you are," Giles whispered, making no attempt to hide his awe.

"And yet, here I am," Buffy said, her expression as blank as she could make it. But Giles hadn't been her watcher for almost four years not to be able to read her face as memory overtook her for a moment.

"And not happy about it," he guessed. Buffy shook her head, then sighed and smiled.

"I wasn't. Not for a long time. I was done, you know? At peace. In Heaven, I think. I'm okay now — not looking to go back anytime soon, but at first? Yeah, not a happy back-from-the-dead Buffy."

"Dare I ask how you are here now? Surely I didn't attempt to resurrect you?" He glared at Spike. "Did you—"

"Not an idiot, Watcher. I know better than to mess with those magics. Not saying I wasn't glad to see her back, or that the months she was gone weren't the worst of my unlife, but would never have done that to her. Spent a good bit of that year after she got dragged out of Heaven makin' sure she wasn't going to find her way back there. Never want to see her that off her game or that miserable again." He shook his head. "It wasn't me."

"So who was it?"

Buffy and Spike exchanged silent communication before Buffy responded. "I don't think I should tell you. We're hoping we can change things so there's no reason for it this time around, and there's no point in having you be mad at anybody for something they haven't done."

"If we think you need to know, one of us will tell you," Spike said, resting his arm across the back of the couch behind Buffy and earning a glare from Giles.

"And how exactly does William the Bloody, who the last time I checked was trying to kill you, figure into all this? And what gives him the right to make statements like that?"

"He earned that right when he burned up saving the world from the First Evil," Buffy said in a tone of voice than indicated she would tolerate no argument.

After Giles had choked at that comment and refreshed his drink again, he glanced at Spike.

"And did the same person bring you back from the ashes?"

Spike shook his head. "Nope. The amulet that used my body and soul to destroy an army of Ubervamps captured my essence and sent it to the big poof. Popped out of the bloody chunk of jewelry in his big, fancy new office. Was all ghostly for a while, but no sooner did I get a real body back than they decided I was just the sucker they needed to send back in time to stop the hell bitch before Buffy had to jump."

"Your body and soul? I presume that's just an expression…?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Nope. He has a soul – a soul he fought for and won… for me."

"I'm obviously missing a great deal of your history," Giles said with a wry twist to his mouth.

"Some of it," Spike agreed, allowing his hand to drop onto Buffy's shoulder. "Some of it's none of your business."

"Quite," Giles said with an offended sniff.

"Anyway, Giles. That's the sitch just now. It looks like we both got sent back by ex-watchers to see to it that I don't have to die… or, if I do somehow, that I'm not resurrected." She glanced at Spike. "Those are your orders, aren't they – not to let me be brought back?"

Ignoring Giles, Spike cupped Buffy's cheek and nodded. "They are. And if that's what I have to do, I will. But as soon as I know the world's safe, I'll be joining you in the afterlife. I may have to watch you die twice, but I'm not gonna live without you again. Not with knowin' it's permanent this time."

"No you won't, drama queen. You'll still have to take care of Dawn for me." She leaned into his hand, holding it against her cheek. "Let's just go with stopping Glory, 'K?"

"If I might interrupt this touching scene…" Giles's voice didn't really indicate a reluctance to do so, but Buffy answered him anyway.

"What is it?"

He addressed his question to Spike. "If you have instructions not to resurrect Buffy, does that mean Wesley believes it was her resurrection that triggered the rise of the First Evil?"

"He does. And apparently so do you a few years from now, since you sent Buffy back to find a way to stop Glory and keep herself alive."

"Bloody hell…" Giles slumped back in his chair and stared into his glass.

"Sums it up as well as anything," Buffy said. "The thing is, we don't know why we ended up _here_. Now. Over a year before we have anything to worry about. I mean, obviously whatever we do to keep her from opening that portal is going to change things in the future… our future…" She clenched Spike's hand that was holding on her hers just as tightly. "But if we have to get through all of this year without changing anything…."

"We've already blown that, love. Just by being here. And now that we've told Rupert who we are, we've really changed things. Not to mention, my history with the soldiers. Haven't had any interaction with them yet except for that dustup in your dorm. It's just going to get harder and harder to do things exactly the same way… even if we can remember it all. Which we probably can't. It's not like there haven't been a few more bloody memorable events in our lives from here on out."

Giles lifted his head and stared at them. "I hadn't even considered that aspect of it. You dare not change anything!" He looked at their skeptical faces and groaned. "Even something small… so small you don't have any memory of what you said or did before… You could change everything."

"It's why we're here, Giles. To change things. Even if it means we—" She turned to face Spike.

"Even if it means we don't have a future together…" Spike whispered, leaning in to her. They touched foreheads for a second, then sighed and separated. Buffy met Giles's frown with her own serious expression.

"I know we'll be changing things. The least disruptive thing would be to let everything play out the way we know it will… but… I don't think I can do that. Not when my mom—"

"We're going to find a way to change that, love. I promise you. If I have to monitor her blood flow 24/7, we're going to change it."

Buffy shook her head. "If it's changeable. The doctors said it was almost instantaneous. Even if you were there and caught it happening, who knows if it would make a difference?"

"Docs could put her on blood thinners. We'd just have to convince them and her that there was a good reason for it."

"Buffy? Does all this mean something happens to Joyce?"

Giles's expression showed his genuine concern for Buffy's mother, and she gave him a sad smile, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "It does… did… will? I don't know. And I don't know if we can stop it. But we don't have to worry about it yet, anyway. That's next year too."

"The big problem right now, is how do two people who know everything that's going to happen for the next year, good and bad, not bugger it all up before the hell-bitch gets here?" Spike put his arm around Buffy and gave her a supportive squeeze, but his eyes were on Giles.

Giles nodded his head. "Let me do some research on what little is known about time travel. Obviously you have already changed things in some rather important ways simply by being here and working together rather than trying to kill each other. Is there anything else I should know?"

Spike glanced at Buffy, who muttered, "Tell him."

"I lied about being captured and chipped by the soldiers. That did happen in our time, and that's why I was here. But I wasn't about to let them practice vivisection on me this go round, and don't want to be unable to help Buffy when the Renaissance Rejects get here. So I stayed out of the Intiative's way this time, and they'll have to use their chip on some other poor bugger. Was gonna play it out, but now that I know Buffy is my Buffy, I don't have to pretend."

"So, you _can_ bite and kill?" Giles looked like he was regretting dropping the stake.

"Can. Will if I have to. Won't if I don't. The soul isn't quite as restrictive as feeling like my head's gonna explode, but it generally gets the job done."

"Buffy, how can you trust him? This is clearly not the harmless creature he was at this point in your time."

"I trust him because I've had years to learn that I can. Long before he got the soul, and after he lost the chip." She stood up and stretched. "I guess I'd better get back to the dorm and see if I have to do anything tomorrow. I really don't remember much about this school year. It was so long ago." She nudged Spike with her foot. "And we need to find you a place to live – unless you liked it so much in Giles's bathtub that you want to stay…"

Giles interrupted Spike's growl. "Not that I'm planning to force you back into the chains you say you wore, but I do think it best if you remain here until we can sort out what it is and is not safe for you to do. Buffy can go about her normal days, but if my home is where you were at this time, we'd best keep it that way for a while."

"Suppose you're right at that. In our time, I was a prisoner here… except for during the spell…"

"Spell?"

"Oh God," Buffy said, falling back onto the couch. "Are we going to let it happen?"

"Let what happen?" Giles looked like he was losing his temper again. "Would you care to enlighten the non-time-traveling party as to what spell you are referring to?"

"That's just going to be changing more things if we tell you," Buffy said. "But if we don't… everybody's going to have to go through the same stuff."

"If she doesn't get all brassed off at everyone, it might be okay."

"Or, she'll do the spell anyway and say completely different things and we won't know what's going on."

"Or that." Spike slumped back beside her. "Let's see what the watcher thinks."

"The watcher would love to have enough information to have any thoughts at all," Giles grumbled. "Who is 'she' and what spell are you talking about?"

"The witch. She buggers it up, as usual." He subsided when Buffy glared at him.

"Willow's really, really unhappy about losing Oz. And she did a spell to make her will be done. She thought it didn't work because Oz didn't show up, but it turned out everything she said after that happened. She said you can't see anything because you don't notice how miserable she is, and you went blind. She said Xander was a demon magnet because he was spending so much time with Anya instead of her, and he was chased by demons all night."

"And you?" Giles groaned as Buffy and Spike exchanged heated looks and smiles. "Oh, again, dear lord."

"Relax, Giles. She just got mad that I was looking for Spike – because he got loose and ran out of here – and she told Xander I should just marry him. So we were engaged for several hours while you were blind and Xander was dodging demons. It's no biggie. We had it better than anyone else. At least we were happy."

"Willow? Willow was able to do a "My Will Be Done" spell? And it worked?"

"Oh yeah. It worked. And Anya's old boss D'Hoffryn tried to recruit her. He said it was one of the best vengeances he'd ever seen from an amateur. But she felt bad because she hadn't really meant to wish all those things on us, so she broke the spell and we were all back to normal."

"Some of us were back to normal," Spike muttered too low for Giles to pick up his words. "Some of us had to try to walk back with very tight pants."

Buffy blushed and shushed him, but she smiled as she did it.

"So that's the thing – do we let her do the spell? Do I try to stop her before she does it, or do we just try not to say anything to make her mad?"

"Surely she didn't intend to cause spontaneous engagements or endanger Xander or myself?"

"I think she just wanted Oz back. But it didn't do that."

"No doubt she didn't realize she had to actually say what she wanted to make it happen. Spells like that are very literal. It would work her will only when she specifically said something should happen." His eyes went wide. "That's a very dangerous spell in the wrong hands… and Willow's would appear to be the wrong ones. I believe we should try to prevent her from doing it."

"How? I don't know when she did it. And I can't make Oz come back from wherever he went... Tibet or someplace like that."

"When do we have to worry about this spell?"

Buffy bit her lip. "Um…." She glanced at Spike with a raised eyebrow.

"Probably any time now," he said. "The reason I got loose was because I wasn't in the tub yet and Rupert here dropped the key to the chains he put on me. Couldn't have been more than a day or so from now." He frowned. "Could be tonight even, come to think of it. We just didn't know about it until things started happening to everybody."

"Oh boy…." Buffy jumped to her feet. "I've got to get to the dorm. Maybe I can talk her out of it."

"I don't think it was tonight, pet. Now that I think about it. She'd had another day to feel bad before anything happened to anybody, didn't she?"

"Well, she could have done it tonight, and just waited until tomorrow to decide it didn't work." Buffy looked at Giles. "When were you planning to work with her on magic?"

"Tomorrow." He gave a deep sigh. "We agreed she'd come here in the morning as there are no classes during the holiday."

"But she didn't, did she? That's why you went to our room and pissed her off and she said you couldn't see anything. And it was just after dark when you called and said Spike was loose and she said it would only take me a few minutes to find him… and it did. So she must do the spell tonight. I need to stop her."

"You shouldn't let her know you know what she's going to do – you'd have to explain how, and the fewer people who know about you, the better. At least that is my belief."

"Maybe if I'm just real sympathetic, take her out for ice cream or something, I can make her not want to do the spell."

"Or she'll do it anyway, and we'll all have to wear muzzles until it wears off or she ends it." Spike snorted his disbelief.

Giles cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should allow her to do her spell, but gently hint that she be very careful what she says while it is in effect? If I approach her more sympathetically than I apparently did in your time, I may be able to get her to admit what she's done and break the spell before anything else can happen."

Buffy looked dubious, but nodded. "So, you want me to let her do it?"

"I think you should. I will be more cautious in voicing my concern about her missing a training session and perhaps I will be able to retain my vision and her trust."

"And maybe she'll even show up for her lesson this time if I've been able to cheer her up."

Spike rose to his feet and put his arms around her in a loose embrace. "Was kind of looking forward to our first night together being more like our last one."

Buffy smiled but shook her head. "Yeah. Me too. But we wouldn't have been spending the night together if we weren't… us… so I think we'd better stay where we're meant to be. Anyway, just because you know to stay away from Riley and his guys this time, that doesn't mean you're in no danger. You're just another vamp to them, and now you won't know when to worry about them sneaking up on you. You're safe here."

Spike growled at hearing Riley's name, but shrugged his acceptance. "Point taken, pet. Although now that I know what to watch for, I think they'd have a harder time catching me off guard."

"Humor me, okay? I don't want to have to pull off a rescue mission when I'm not even supposed to know about that place yet…."

"All right, love." He ignored Giles's audible gasp and kissed her thoroughly. "You go sleep in your little dormitory bed and I'll stay here and annoy Rupert." As she started to pull away, he held on to her hands. "But no shagging the big lump, yeah?"

"Oh my God. Riley. What am I going to do about him? This is getting more complicated by the second—" She stopped and glared at him. "And don't be stupid. Of course I won't. We were barely just beginning to date now, so I just won't… but if I don't date him, he won't take me into the lab…Gah!"

"What's a Riley?" Giles asked, frowning as they were once again talking about things he knew nothing about.

"Spike can fill you in on Riley and the labs… and Adam. I guess since we're here early enough, we should try to shut that down too. Maybe the two of you can figure out how to do it. I'm going to go give Willow a sympathetic shoulder to cry on and help her trash men."

Both men stood watching her wave as she went out the door, then turned to look at each other.

"Riley? Adam? Place she shouldn't know about?"

Spike sighed and poured himself more scotch. "Have a seat, Watcher. There's things you need to know."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

When Spike had finished covering what he knew of the Initiative and its mission, as well as the weapon being created there, he leaned back and drained his glass.

"So, that's what happened in our timeline. Probably in everybody's best interest, not to let Frankenstein even get close to waking up, but I've got no idea when that happened. Buffy may know more about that – at least she can narrow it down for us. If he never wakes up, she doesn't have to risk her life fighting him. Gonna change a lot, though. For one thing, that bloody sadist that runs the place won't be killed by her own monster, so she might just pick up stakes and try again elsewhere."

Giles sighed heavily. "If I could get to someone in the Council… without actually telling them about you and Buffy…. they could probably exert some pressure. If it's a secret organization, one must assume those from whom it is a secret would like to be made aware of it."

"If the Council of Wankers learn about Buffy and me, they'll want to lock us up somewhere to give them chapter and verse of what happen over the next several years. You know that as well as I do."

"I do." He sighed again and poured himself another drink, squinting at the almost empty bottle. "Have you been filling your glass when I wasn't looking?"

Spike grinned at him and poured the remaining scotch into his own glass. "I believe you can take just as much credit for that empty bottle as I can, Rupert. I've no doubt the alcohol makes the things I'm telling you go down better."

Giles shook his head. "I suspect I will wake up tomorrow and hope this is all just a drunken dream."

"You _want_ Buffy to jump off that tower next year?"

"No, no, of course not. But deciding what to let you change, and what not…. No matter what we do, your lives are going to have a very different trajectory. You do realize that?"

"I do," Spike said grimly. "Fully aware that if Buffy doesn't have to die, and doesn't get brought back by her ignorant—" He caught himself, but not soon enough.

"By her ignorant…. ?"

Spike tried to ignore him and continued, "I know if that doesn't happen, that she and I might never have the relationship we have now. Hell, I might not even have the soul… " He took a deep swallow of his remaining scotch. "I understand the risk, and so does Buffy. Not much we can do about it. Preventing the First Evil from becoming as powerful as it did when those dark magics got used is more important."

Giles raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well, not to me, obviously. Nothing's more important to me than being with Buffy – but it's more important to her. And with no way of knowing what the future would hold… If the First rose and there was no Buffy here to fight it…." Spike met Giles's somewhat bleary gaze firmly. "Without her, the world would be a very nasty place for humans. Buffy is the best slayer that ever lived. And one hell of a woman, to boot." He raised his glass in a toast and drained it.

"Reckon you ought to stumble off to bed," he said to Giles, who'd barely been able to raise his glass for Spike's toast. "Tomorrow could be a long day if Buffy can't cheer Red up enough to keep her from wanting to rule the world."

"I'm quite sure Willow only meant to get her boyfriend back. Ruling the world is—"

"Listen to me, Watcher. This spell is only the beginning of Willow's taste of powerful magic. She likes that taste. Trust me, you don't want her getting any stronger unless you know she's willing to take instruction."

Giles rose to his feet, staggering slightly. "You will have to go into more detail about that with me tomorrow. Right now, I don't think my brain can accept any more information." He paused on his way to his bedroom. "You are welcome to my guest room for the night," he said. "I see no reason to keep you in chains unless we have to so as not to give it away."

"'Preciate that, Watcher," Spike said with a smirk. "But just so you know? The only one can decide if I need to be chained is Buffy. Not gonna be your decision to make this time around."

"Quite," Giles muttered as he disappeared into his room. "No decision making for me."

Spike frowned as his hearing picked up Giles's words and he wondered if they were going to have to coddle his feelings in an effort to keep him on their side.

XXXXXXX

Buffy entered the dorm room cautiously, wondering if Willow would even be there. She was, lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling. She sat up and wiped her eyes as Buffy came in.

"Oh. Hi, "she said, her voice ragged and dull.

"Oh, Wills. I left you here by yourself, didn't I? I'm so sorry. Giles had things he wanted to talk to me about, and we were questioning Spike, and I had dishes to wash, and—"

"It's okay, Buffy. I get it. You have a busy life. I'm fine."

"No," Buffy said softly as she came over and sat beside Willow. "You're not fine. Why would you be? Oz is your first love and he's gone. You have every right to be unhappy for as long as you want. I'm just sorry my night job means I can't be here with you all the time. But hey, I'm here now. Why don't we go get some ice cream?"

"Buffy, it's 11:00 on a week night."

"But it's Thanksgiving. We don't have classes tomorrow. We can go to bed late and sleep as late as we want tomorrow."

"I appreciate the thought. Really I do. But I think I'm just going to go to sleep now. You probably should too, don't you think? You're not planning to patrol tonight are you?"

"Huh? Oh. No. No patrol tonight. I figure slaying all those ghosty Indians and the couple of morons I staked on the way here is more than enough for a holiday." Buffy bit her lip. "So, you just want to sleep? No best-friend time or man-trashing ice cream time?"

"No. Sleep is good. I like sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok? Maybe we'll have ice cream then."

"Okay. If you're sure. I could use some sleep I guess."

"See. That's what we need. Lots of sleep."

"Right. We'll just sleep… both of us…." Buffy shrugged and went about getting ready for bed, noting when she came back from brushing her teeth that Willow was already in bed with her back turned to the room. Buffy got into bed, thought for a while about Spike and the fact that he was not dead and went to sleep with a smile on her face.

XXXXXXXX

The smile didn't last in the morning when she woke up to find Willow gone and a book on spells peeking out from under her pillow. When she opened it to find the page on "My Will Be Done" spells bookmarked, she groaned. She called Giles just in case Willow had gone to meet with him, but he said he hadn't seen or heard from Willow.

"Do you think she did the spell, then?"

"I dunno. The page looked pretty well used, and it was a little bit charred on one corner. Smells like smoke."

"Dammit!"

"Yeah. So, first recommendation is that you don't come here looking for her, so she can't get mad at you. And there's no reason for Spike to try to escape tonight, so she won't have to tell me it won't take long to find him… I guess we'll just have to hope we can get to Xander before she has a chance to call him a demon-magnet, or tell him Spike and I should get married."

"That will help us avoid the things that happened in your time, but if the spell is in effect, we don't know what else we might accidentally wish upon ourselves," he pointed out. "Perhaps, better the devil we know? If I don't anger her to the point of cursing me with blindness, perhaps I can get her to rethink the spell and end it of her own accord."

Buffy frowned. "I guess it's worth a shot. If that's what you want to do. I need to talk to Spike today, so I'll be over in a little while."

Buffy ran to shower and dress, sighing when she found signs that someone had burned something in one of the shower stalls. She picked up a familiar-looking candle and said, "Oh, Willow. I know how you feel. I should have paid more attention to you." She put the candle with her things and quickly showered and dressed. Willow was still absent when she went back to their room, so Buffy left to grab some coffee and food before heading to Giles's apartment. She left the spell book and candle out on the bed, hoping it would still be there when Giles showed up to talk to Willow.

XXXXXXXX

Buffy was still munching her breakfast sandwich when she tried the door and found it locked. She frowned and knocked impatiently, blinking in surprise when it was opened by Spike, who was halfway hiding behind it to avoid the sun's morning rays.

"Mornin', love," he said with a smile.

"Hi. You're up early." She looked around as he shut the door. "Where's Giles?"

"He said he had some errands to run before he goes to find the witch, so he left me in charge."

"He said that, did he?" Buffy laughed at Spike's mock offended growl.

"Well, he would have if he had any sense." He put his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace that was just a bit too tight to be a hug between friends. "But you and me have more important things to talk about."

Buffy reached her arms around his neck and moved even closer. "We do? What would those things be?"

"The first and most important thing would be how we haven't had a chance for a decent snog since we got here."

Buffy was still nodding her agreement when he fastened his mouth on hers. The kiss was tentative at first, as befitted two people who'd been through so many ups and downs in their relationship, but when Buffy participated enthusiastically, Spike deepened the kiss.

It was soon obvious that standing just inside the now-closed door was not working out for either of them. The proof of Spike's happiness to have her in his arms was pressed against her stomach, and Buffy's own libido was responding to the kisses she'd never really allowed herself to miss. The last of her sandwich was forgotten and left where it fell. They stumbled toward the couch, still glued together at the mouth, and fell onto it.

"Missed you so bad," Spike murmured into her neck as he paused to let her take in more air. "Missed this. Soul told me I had no right to even think about it, but I couldn't stop wanting you." He raised his head to see her reaction to his words.

Buffy gave him a sad smile. "It was just too… so many things were going on last year. I wanted you to be there, with me, but I told myself I had to concentrate on setting a good example and winning the battle, so I couldn't…." She leaned back to meet his gaze. "I wanted to. But you were so fragile at first, and then we… platonic just seemed like the way to go."

"It was." He pressed himself against her, smiling when she opened her legs so he could slide his hips between them. "But you know I don't have a lot of control over some body parts."

"Your blood doesn't always rush in the direction of your head," she quoted with smile.

He snorted. "You remember that, do you?"

Her expression changed and she said with perfect seriousness, "I remember everything you said to me that night. You were my inspiration for getting the scythe, my courage to face Caleb again, and my rock when I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing." She brought one hand up to stroke his face. "I remember it," she repeated. Snapping out of it, she wriggled against him. "I guess we know which head it went to now, don't we?"

"The question is, is the Watcher going to be gone long enough for us to do anything about it?"

Buffy sighed and nuzzled his neck. "I don't know. We need to find you a place to live so we can have some privacy. I don't want you back in that crypt – it's too easy for anything to find it and get in."

"I'll come up with something. I'm going to be a bit smarter about all that treasure in the cave where I found the Gem, maybe I can—"

"Oh! I almost forgot about that ring. You should have it. I won't worry as much about you if you have it on."

He shook his head and smiled. "Just knowing you worry about me is worth anything that might happen to me."

"I worried about you a lot," she said, trying to sound miffed. "Lots of times."

"If you say so, love." He nudged against her again. "Back to the important question – do we have enough time to—"

"I don't know. I know that's not what you want to hear, and I don't really want to say it…. mmmmmm…. stop that!" In spite of her words, she brought her legs up around his hips and pressed her already damp panties against him. "Oh, God. That feels so good… we can't… but… " She began rubbing against the hard bulge between her legs. "We really shouldn't…."

"We really should," he gasped, pressing against her even harder. "Won't take long – I promise." He freed one hand and pulled down his zipper, allowing his cock out to seek the spot Buffy was pushing her underwear aside to make available. With matching sighs, they slid together and began to move as if they'd last been together just yesterday.

Buffy's "Oh God, oh God, oh God" was matched by Spike's declarations of pleasure and love as he pistoned into her. She met him thrust for thrust, and was soon wailing his name as she shuddered around him, feeling his own ejaculation filling her.

They lay together, Buffy recovering her breath, for several minutes before she nudged him. "We need to get up. I need to clean up, and you need to zip up. This Giles might believe who we are, but I don't think he needs to walk into a scene like this."

He sighed, but reluctantly pulled out and rolled off the couch to land on the floor. "Bloody hell! First thing I'm going buy with that treasure is a real bed!" He zipped himself away and sat up to ogle her still open legs. Instead of standing up he said, "Let me help you out with that cleaning up, pet."

Buffy's confusion about what he meant was soon ended as he began to lick his spendings off her legs and inner lips. She was soon whimpering and thrashing around on the couch as he used his tongue and lips to bring her to another orgasm. Giving her a self-satisfied smile, he pulled her panties back into place and her skirt down to cover her legs.

"That should hold you for a while," he said as she continued to loll on the couch.

"You look entirely too pleased with yourself," she said with a lazy wave of her hand and a soft smile that belied her words. The sound of someone trying to get in the door had her sitting up with a surprised yelp. Spike jumped to his feet and ran to unlock the door for Giles, who was just fishing his key from his pocket.

"Sorry, Watcher. Don't know how that got locked. I know you let the Scoobies pop in and out of here at any time of day."

Looking somewhat disgruntled, Giles entered the room and carried his packages to the kitchen.

"I got you some pigs blood from the butcher over on Elm St.," he said. "I presume you will at some point find your own accommodations…"

"Ta, Watcher. I will-did-get myself a place to live. Although first time around I did spend some quality time with Harris when you were having female company."

"Ah yes. Olivia. I'd much rather you were not around when she gets here. I'm hoping to convince her that Sunnydale is just a cheerful little California town – and not—"

"And not located over the actual mouth of hell?" Buffy said with a wry smile.

"And that," Giles said, giving her an inquiring look. "Although I suppose it's going to be too much to hope for?"

"Do you really want to know?" Buffy cocked her head and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Apparently not," he said with a sigh. "I suppose it is important that I know some of what is going to happen this year, as well as how we thwart it. But perhaps you could keep bad news about my love life to yourself."

"We were just starting to talk about that," Spike said, avoiding Buffy's embarrassed gaze. "Not whether or not you should get shagged," he said with a smirk when Giles turned to glare at him. "We need to sort out what can and should be changed and what can just play out. I figure the less we change, the better for the future being a place we recognize when we get to it."

"That brings up an interesting question. Are you expected to return to your time of origin when you've accomplished your mission?"

"Huh. Good question. You – future you – didn't say. I guess I was kind of thinking I would go back, but—" Buffy frowned. "Nobody actually _said_ they were going to bring me back…."

"Didn't get any promises from Angel or Oxford," Spike said. "I pretty much figured I was gone for the duration. Since Buffy thought I was dead anyway, it didn't seem to matter that much if I made it back or not." He smiled at her. "Still doesn't. As long as I'm where she is, don't give a rat's ass if it's back to the future or in this timeline."

"I guess…." Buffy bit her lip as she thought out loud "I guess Spike's right. It doesn't really matter as long as we're together. And if we can fix everything that might kill us between now and then, we'll eventually be back to 2003 or 2004 anyway. Just not, you know, quite the same 2003. But with fewer dead people, we hope."

Giles shook his head. "I did some reading on time travel this morning, but I cannot honestly say I feel I know any more about it. There seem to be several theories about changing things. One is, of course, that the slightest change affects everything after that and changes things forever. That has already happened just by the very fact that you are here, when that didn't happen in your time."

"So, we made everything different? Cause you know, the Indians were pretty real, and so was the bear. It was easier to get rid of them because I knew what to do, but they still showed up on time. And it looks like Willow still did her spell."

"As I said, that is one theory. Another theory is that _only_ small changes can be made. Major events are still going to occur as they are meant to, with perhaps only minor differences."

"So, we could get rid of the Indians faster, but they were still going to appear?"

"Something like that. It remains to be seen if you will have changed the course of Willow's spell at all."

"Well, did you see her? Did you make her mad?"

"I did. She was angry at me, but I was able to offer her more sympathy than I apparently did in your time, and she did not tell me I was blind. She did say she wasn't interested in any more training in magic, but I could not get her to admit she'd done the spell. I felt she was getting suspicious and had to drop the subject."

"Well, that's one good thing. You're not blind. I don't think there's anything important about any of the things she did to us. We're together anyway — not that she knows that, but if she said we were going to get married, it wouldn't change anything. And since I won't be out looking for Spike, she might not get as mad at Xander for not keeping her company, and she won't make him a demon magnet." She looked at Spike with a smile. "And I won't get the only marriage proposal I've ever had."

"Set a date and that's a done deal, love." His expression was completely serious.

She frowned at him. "That's not nearly as romantic as the first one."

Rolling his eyes and ignoring Giles's sputtering, Spike dropped to his knees in front of Buffy and took her hand. He pulled a ring off his finger and said, "Will you marry me, Slayer? Say yes and make me the happiest man in world."

"Oh, Spike. Of course it's yes!" She put the ring on her thumb and leaned down to kiss him.

"Is it too early in the day for Scotch?" Giles asked no one in particular as he sank into a chair.

"Cheer up, Giles. Unless Willow actually says we should get married, we won't be able to sit around smooching all night like we did before because Xander's head would explode. So only you will know we're engaged now."

"Lucky me," he muttered, meeting Spike's growl with his own glare. "Tell me again why you think I should trust this creature?"

Buffy sighed. "Get over it, Giles. I know you don't know him well yet, and even if he isn't as aggravating as he was the first time—" She ignored Spike's indignant "Hey!" "—you probably won't get a chance to know him really well until he's been here a while. But I've known him for a long time, and I trust him completely. It took me a long time to get there, but I did. And even when I thought I didn't, I sort of did – with important things. I sent my mom and sister for him to hide and protect them from Glory, I never took away his invitation to my house that he's had since he helped me defeat Angelus, and he never took advantage of it to hurt me or my family…."

She took a deep breath. "You know what? I can't believe I'm doing this. I even had to have this argument with your future self, whose life Spike had probably saved more than once by then. I'm not doing it again. Get. Over. Yourself. I'm the Slayer. And I've got four years on you when it comes to fighting evil and preventing apocalypses. I don't take orders from you, and I won't have my decisions questioned. Are we clear?"

She stood, hands on hips, her glare firmly fixed on Giles's astonished face. He glared back at her for a few seconds, shifted his gaze to Spike, who was staring at Buffy in open admiration, then back to her. He drew himself up to his full height, noted that neither of the two shorter people in the room seemed to be impressed, and slumped in defeat.

"Very well. My apologies, Spike. Buffy is quite right that I am judging you based on only the little bit of information I have to date, whereas she has obviously known and been depending upon you for a much longer period of time. I will do my best to resist my lifelong training and give you a fair chance."

"All we're askin' for, Watcher," Spike said. "But just so you know, I see any sign that you're working behind my girl's back… with anybody… and…." He shifted into his vampire mien just long enough to be sure Giles got the message and then dropped back into his human face. Giles stared back and forth between the two of them for a full minute before he nodded. "Whatever it is between you, and however it developed, it is very clear that each of you intends to protect the other at any cost. I cannot quarrel with a relationship of that intensity."

He sat down and with obvious trepidation asked, "Is there some future reason that you felt it was necessary to give such a specific warning, Spike? Something I should perhaps be as wary of as I tried to be about offending Willow – something I find very disturbing, by the way. The idea that Willow is to be feared rather than admired and trained."

Buffy shrugged. "It's hard to say, Giles. Without knowing what changes, we can't say 'don't do this' or 'don't do that'. I don't think there's anything to worry about this year, do you?" She addressed her question to Spike who also shrugged. "Not that I can think of, pet. Of course, I wasn't around everybody all the time once I got my own place. " He grinned. "Should we warn him about having drinks with old friends? Or just let him have his fun with the sadistic bitch?"

Buffy laughed along with him, sobering when she saw the frown on Giles's face. "Just a warning about getting too friendly again with Ethan should do it. On the other hand, did you know your glare looks exactly the same even when you're a Fyral demon?"

"He doesn't—" Giles looked like he might be planning to hunt Ethan down on the spot.

"He does, but it's all okay. Spike speaks Fyral, so he was able to understand you and drive you around looking for Ethan. And I didn't stab you with real silver, and then I recognized you, so you didn't get killed, and we made Ethan break the spell."

Giles shook his head and slumped back in the chair. "Is there anything else I should know about magic gone wrong within the next few months?"

"Well, it's not gone wrong, cause it worked and I was able to beat Adam, but you and Willow worked one hell of a spell to stop this year's apocalypse."

"We used a spell?"

"Yeah. Kind of a share the strength thing, so I was strong enough to fight Adam and rip out his power pack. But, if we can stop him from ever waking up, we won't have to do that. I just have to figure out how to get into that place without, you know, actually... um… dating… Riley." She slid her eyes sideways at Spike as she stumbled over her words.

"I could get in there," Spike said. "Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't drink their drugged blood and wouldn't get that bloody chip in my head. All I'd need to do is find that room and start ripping out wires and tubes."

"You could get in. We can't be sure you could get out in one piece. They might just dust you if they decided you were going to be too much trouble. And if I'm not Riley's girlfriend, I probably wouldn't have any way to get in there to save you. We need to think of something else."

"Didn't that ugly cow try to kill you? Being Captain Cardboard's bird didn't help you much then."

"She did. And then she lied to Riley about it. But that was just before it all went to hell I think. If I can remember when Riley brought me in and when she sent me out after her pet demons, we'll know about when Adam woke up. We need to get to him before that happens."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"This may be a case of the Council actually being of use. They don't need to know exactly how we know what's going on in those labs. Simply saying that Spike had first-hand experience and that you have become… friendly… with one of their employees may be enough to—"

"Their boss lady is also my Psychology professor. She's the one who created Adam. Riley and his men didn't know about what was going on in that room."

"When does all this occur?"

"Hmmm Not for a little while. Whenever Olivia gets here, that's when the Gentlemen come to town and Riley finds out what I am. Then he takes me to meet Professor Walsh as the Slayer – she's really condescending about it too…. I should have kicked her butt then…." Buffy glared around as if Giles and Spike were somehow responsible for the lack of respect. Finding nothing but supportive frowns on their faces, she continued. "I dunno. It's at least a couple of weeks from now before I was able to get into the labs, maybe more. I think Willow's probably a bigger problem right now. And the Gentlemen, I guess, but I know where they put their box of hearts, and what they and their weirdo minions look like, so Spike and I can probably take care of them as soon as they get here."

"The Gentlemen?"

"Yeah. They're in your books. Look 'em up and see if you have any better ideas than just smashing the box as soon as we know they're here."

"Meanwhile, the witch. Are we just going to let her stew herself into a real tantrum?" Spike brought them back to the current problem.

Giles sighed. "I understand that Willow's reach sometimes exceeds her grasp of the nuances of spell-casting, but I have a hard time believing she would do anything to hurt anyone."

Spike and Buffy exchanged another one of their looks that made Giles rub his forehead. While they did silent communication with their eyes, he groaned and said, "You're wearing your we-know-something-you-don't expressions again. Shall we just agree that whatever changes my knowing who you are may have caused, they cannot be any worse than the mistakes I might make by not knowing what you know?"

"It's just hard to know what to tell you, Giles. I don't want you to blame anybody in this timeline for something I tell you happened in a future that we hope isn't going to exist anymore. It would be like me driving to LA and punching Angel out for not telling me that Spike was alive or a ghost or whatever, when that hasn't happened until three or four years from now… and probably won't if we can keep me from coming back from the dead. It's all connected, but it all might not happen if we can fix it."

"Never the less, if Willow is as easily seduced by power as Spike has implied, it is important that I find a way to get training for her. Perhaps I will have to bring in someone from the coven in England rather than try to do it myself if she continues to be angry at me."

"Well, she should be meeting Tara pretty soon. That helps for the rest of this year."

"Tara?"

"Tara is Willow's… girlfriend. In the girlfriend sense of the word, not just a friend who's a girl. She's a witch too. Not as powerful as Willow, but much more with the good magic. Earth magic. She's a good influence on Willow. And if I don't die, Willow—oops—"

"So it _was_ Willow who resurrected you. I was beginning to suspect so, but that requires so much power, and a great deal of very dark magic—"

"Another really good reason not to let it happen," Spike growled. "The First Evil wasn't the only thing that resurrection spell brought out. Willow tried to end the world well before the First raised his ugly head."

"Dear Lord…"

Buffy looked at Giles's face, glared at Spike, and back to Giles.

"Now see? That's why I didn't want to tell you. This Willow hasn't done any of those things. She hasn't hurt anybody yet. And she won't, because we know what to do about the nerd trio. But if you're going to start treating her like she's some… some…."

"Some out of control witch on a power trip?" Spike contributed, exchanging a look with Giles.

"Not helping, Spike," Buffy growled.

"You can get brassed off at me if you want to, love, but your little friend… and mine too after all these years… liked the taste of power when she got it and was way too cocky about how much she has to listen to anyone's advice. Rupert needs to know that the potential is there so he can try to steer her in another direction. She'll be just as powerful when you need her to be without dipping into the dark magic, and a lot safer to be around."

"I hate it when you make sense," Buffy grumbled, but she didn't try to contradict him. "So, what are we going to do? We won't know if the spell is in effect until we see it."

"As much as I hate to say it, and as nervous as it makes me, I'm afraid the only safe way to deal with it is to tell Willow about you and Spike. Once she understands that you've come from our future and have seen the consequences, she may be amenable to being more careful."

"And she might be willing to break the spell before she wishes anything bad on anybody…."

"Exactly."

"I guess I should go back to the dorm and talk to her. If nothing else, being around when she needs me should help her feel better."

 **XXXXXX**

"Hey," Buffy said as she entered the room. Once again, Willow was lying on her bed and staring at nothing.

"Oh, hi. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be pumping Spike for information or something?"

Buffy choked for a second at the thought of pumping Spike, then smiled as she realized it was the perfect segue.

"Spike can wait for his pumping," she said with a grin that grew as Willow sat up, her eyes wide.

"I know you didn't just make a joke about…. with Spike…."

"Well, actually, I kinda did. If you've got some time, I have a really interesting story to tell you…."

"I've got nothing but time," Willow said as she flopped back on the bed. "Whoa! What happened?" She stared around as all her possessions, including the bedspread upon which she was lying, disappeared. Her entire side of the room was barren. "Where's my stuff?"

"Quick! Say my stuff is all right here again!"

"What?"

"Just do it. I'll explain after."

"My stuff is all right here again," Willow intoned slowly, putting her hand over her mouth when everything reappeared. "Oh Goddess…" She whirled to look at Buffy. "What happened?"

"Okay, here's the thing – you know that spell you did last night? The 'My Will Be Done' one? Well, it worked. So you need to be really careful what you say until you break the spell, cause everything you say will come true."

Willow stared at her, curiosity at war with her excitement at finding out her spell worked.

"Then why isn't Oz here? And how do you know about the spell?"

"Okay now we get to the really interesting story… Do you want to break the spell before you hear it?"

"Why would I want to break the spell?" Willow's genuine shock at that suggestion didn't bode well for Buffy's plan.

"Okay. Story first then. Just be careful what you say about anybody, 'k?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, like Giles can't see anything, or like Xander's a demon magnet…. or like if I'm so worried about what Spike is doing, I should just marry him. Stuff like that."

Willow's eyes narrowed. "Those are pretty specific don'ts…"

Buffy sighed. "Yes. They are specific. And there's a reason for it. Can I tell you about it?"

Willow nodded and mimed zipping her mouth shut. She settled into a comfortable position as Buffy began….

 **XXXXXX**

"So. That's the sitch. I'm still me, but I'm me from the future. And so is Spike. We were both sent back — separately, from different places — to keep something really bad from happening next year… or something even worse a few months later if we can't stop it. But somehow we both ended up here – in this time. We're assuming accident, but who knows?"

"So when you gave me all those examples of things I didn't say… in your time, I said them and they happened?"

"Yep. Giles went blind, Xander had demons chasing him all night, and Spike asked be to marry him and we were engaged for most of the night."

"And then I broke my spell, and everybody was all right again?"

Buffy nodded. "You were really upset when D'Hoffren showed you what was happening to us, and you turned down his offer to become a vengeance demon and you wished the spell away."

Buffy waited, then when Willow didn't speak, she said, "There's more stuff of course. We're trying not to change things too much, but I really want to head off this year's apocalypse if we can. And that's going to be trickier because I probably won't have the way in I had last time."

Willow looked thoughtful. "Tell me again the part about this "Adam" guy, and Riley's boss… he works for Professor Walsh? In a non-TA kind of way?"

"Yes. He's one of those ninja guys I've seen around at night. And she's building this Frankenstein monster in the labs under Lowell House, and we have to join together in a spell so that I can beat him and pull out his power pack before he takes over Sunnydale with his army of demons and cyborgs."

"There's a spell? Do I do it?" Willow didn't try to hide her eagerness.

"You and Giles do it. You, Giles, Xander and me – we join our essences somehow and I get wisdom, strength, heart and other stuff."

"So, if we could do all that to get rid of this thing, what if, right now while I'm still all spelly, I just say something like he doesn't exist? Or that he'll never work. Or something like that?"

Buffy gawked at her. "Oh my God, Willow. You are a genius! I wonder if that would work? Why wouldn't it? Of course it would work! You can just shut the whole thing down! I love you!" Buffy dove across the space between them and hugged Willow who gasped and said, "You're very strong, Buffy."

"Oh. Yes. Yes I am. Sorry. But that idea is brilliant! Let's go talk to Giles. He can help us decide exactly what you should say."

"Why do I need him? I can figure out what to say all by myself!" Willow looked offended and Buffy reminded herself that the spell was still in place and she needed to be careful.

"Well, um, because he… he thinks of things we don't sometimes, and we don't want to take a chance on messing up or making it worse somehow…. and I don't mean that you'd mess it up, just that—"

To Buffy's relief, after a moment of obvious anger, Willow sighed. "It's okay, Buffy. I understand that you've seen me mess up some spells in your future and you're afraid of what I'll do. I get it. I don't think I would ever do anything to hurt anybody but—"

Willow caught the look on Buffy's face before she could hide it, and she went pale. "Oh my God. I did, didn't I?"

"Don't worry! It's not going to happen this time! I promise you. Spike and I are going to change things so other… things… don't happen."

"What did… do… will… I do?"

"I'll tell you about it next year if it looks like there's any chance things might go wrong. OK? If we can get through this year without messing up too much, we'll be able to fix next year… Probably."

"Probably?"

"Well, there's one time travel theory that says you can change little events – like Giles knew not to make you mad at him, so he's not blind – but that the really big events are going to happen anyway. So you did the spell. If that's true, the best we can hope for is to change things as much as possible and hope they don't go as wrong as they did in our time."

"So this Adam thing might come to life anyway?"

"If he's important for some reason… I don't know why he would be, though. There's got to be another way to shut the Initiative down without letting him wake up and start turning everybody into cyborgs."

"All right. Let's go talk to Giles. If he thinks it will work, I'll just try to will Adam out of existence or something."

Buffy smiled and walked to the door.

"Did I really make you get engaged to Spike? Should I apologize about that?" Willow asked as she followed Buffy out.

"Well… nah. As the spells went, that one didn't really hurt anybody and Spike and I were pretty happy while we were engaged. I guess it rattled Riley's cage a little bit when he saw me looking at wedding dresses, but I finessed that the next day—" She glanced at Willow. "And it won't matter this time around, because I'm probably not going to be dating him…"

"You're not? Didn't it end well?"

"You might say that," Buffy said with a grimace. "But that's not the only reason."

"Are you going to tell me the other reason?"

"You'll figure it out pretty soon. I promise."

 **XXXXXX**

They entered the apartment to find Giles and Spike sitting on either side of his desk. Giles had a book in front of him and Spike was laughing heartily.

"Seriously, Watcher? Where do these stories come from?"

"From people who probably gave their lives to record them," Giles said through tightly clenched teeth. "Possibly to you."

"Point taken," Spike said, sobering immediately. He glanced up as Willow and Buffy came in. "We can talk about them later and I'll give you the real stories."

He rose to his feet and approached the two girls. "Are we all free to brass off Red now? Did she break the spell?"

"No, I didn't break the spell yet, Spike, so if I were you, I'd be pretty nice to me." Willow fixed him with a serious glare, causing him to back up.

"Whoa!" He looked to Buffy. "Couldn't talk her out of it, huh?"

Buffy sighed. "Just be quiet for a minute, Spike. Willow had a really good idea and we want to talk to Giles about it."

"All right, pet. Quiet it is." As Willow stared at him in astonishment, he walked to the easy chair and sat down.

"Why isn't he tied up anymore?"

"Remember what I told you, Willow? This Spike is from the same future I am. We don't have to tie him up because he isn't going to hurt anybody."

"Jury's still out on Harris," Spike muttered, earning another glare from Willow. "I'd almost forgotten what a git he was."

Buffy sighed and punched him on the arm. "Could you try to behave?"

"But being bad is so much more fun, love," he said, grinning at her and pulling her down on his lap. As Willow sputtered and gasped, Buffy shook her head and laughed with him.

"Buffy…? I didn't say you should marry him. What's going on?"

Buffy sighed and got to her feet, giving Spike's face a gentle caress as she did.

"You don't need to say it, Willow. Spike and I have been… friends… and more than friends… for the past three years. In our timeline. By this time next year, he's helping me with… with what we came here to fix. And we… we're together now. Or we will be, as soon as we can get some time to talk and catch up without having to worry about putting out fires."

She held up her hand with the clunky ring on it. "Not quite the same ring he gave me when you spelled us into being engaged, but it works."

"And I'll replace it as soon as I have a chance," Spike said, resting his hands on her shoulders.

Willow shook her head. "Xander's head is—"

"No!"

"Bloody hell!"

Both Spike and Buffy moved faster than humanly possible to stop Willow before she could finish that sentence. With wide, terrified eyes, she nodded to them that she understood not to finish her comment. They slowly moved their hands from her mouth and stepped away.

"Oh Goddess," she moaned. "I see why you want me to break the spell…. I almost…. Oh Goddess…."

"It's okay. You didn't do it. Let's tell Giles your idea and see if he thinks it will work. Then you can do it and relax. And break the spell…"

Giles frowned as he approached them. "Shall I assume that Willow's idea has something to do with defeating Adam?"

"Not just defeating him. She can say he never wakes up, or doesn't work if he does, or explodes or something. Something that means he can't start killing people and turning them into his own version of Mini Me."

Giles looked at Willow with renewed respect. "That is an excellent idea, Willow."

"So, let's figure out exactly what she should say and do it."

"Quite. However, we need to examine all the possible or likely consequences of it so as to word her wish in such a way that we don't create new or different problems." He smiled at Willow, obviously hoping to reassure her that he wasn't trying to step on her toes. "Now what do we know about this creature and the woman who is creating him?"

"He's made up of parts from demons, robots, and … OMG… people! She's cutting up people! How did I miss that?" She turned to stare at Spike who was looking back at her like she had two heads.

"Where the bloody hell do you think all those other half-human, half-machine creatures came from? And what do you call what she did to me? That wasn't cutting up people?"

Buffy flushed and covered her embarrassment by snapping back, "She was only cutting up demons and vampires, Adam was the one that started making the others…. I think…." Her voice trailed off as Spike's snarl got louder.

"Oh right. It was only demons and vamps she practiced her creative carving on. Nobody important!"

He was at the door and out before anyone else had moved. It vibrated in place from his violent slam as he left.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"Oops?" Willow said. "I think you made him really mad."

"Wasn't one of my finest moments, was it?" Buffy sighed. "I'll let him cool down for a while and then I'll go get him. I can't leave him running around out there while the Initiative is still active. He's too cocky for his own good, and they might catch him again."

"If I understand correctly the sorts of things they've been doing in there, which I've been given to understand Spike is more than familiar with?" He glanced at Buffy and she made a face and nodded. "Then I can understand his anger at being dismissed. Torture of any sentient being is still torture, no matter if the creature is evil or not."

"Thanks, Giles, that made me feel a whole lot better." Buffy glared at him but he just continued to stare at her in disappointment. "Fine. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean it. And I know that some of the demons they cut up weren't even evil or dangerous. But as long as Spike's known me, you'd think he'd know better than to say something that's going to make _me_ say something I don't really mean."

"Clearly it is all his fault," Giles said dryly. "Unfortunately, his temper tantrum may deprive us of important information about what goes on in there, as well as the location of this creature."

No sooner had he spoken than Spike burst back into the room, coat over his head and smoke coming from his hands.

"Fucking sunlight…." He glared at Buffy, but she smothered her smile in time to walk over and stroke his face.

"I'm sorry," she said. "That was… that was old Buffy and I don't want to be her anymore."

He tried to pout, but the earnest expression on her face and the way she kissed one of his charred hands won out and he relaxed.

"So 'm I," he mumbled. "Need to keep a better grip on my temper."

"So, we're okay?" At his nod and whispered suggestion of how she could make it up to him, she giggled and walked back over to Giles and Willow. Her red cheeks and small smile had Willow smirking while Giles groaned under his breath.

"So where were we? Oh yeah, we were wondering if we needed Spike. I think I know most of it. Adam is in Room 314, which nobody's allowed in without Maggie's permission, according to Riley. Then Riley, not this Riley who doesn't really know much about me yet and probably isn't going to want to take me in to see the labs—"

"So, if Adam is not yet functional, and his creator is still human, we need for him to what? Disappear? Malfunction? What do you suggest, and how do we prevent your Professor Walsh from starting over?"

"If Willow can just say that he never wakes up, and you and the Council work on shutting the place down, maybe that's all we need to do. I mean, Maggie Walsh is a bitch, and according to Spike she's really nasty to the vamps and demons she has the soldiers capture for her, but she's human and I can't…."

Willow raised her hand timidly. "What if I just wish that Adam never wakes up, or becomes functional, and that Professor Walsh gets fired?"

"That sounds pretty good. It won't stop the Initiative from running around capturing and killing vamps and demons, but at least Adam won't wake up and try to take over the world and send a bunch of—"

She looked panicked for a few seconds and Giles and Willow tried to soothe her.

"Breathe, Buffy, Breathe."

"Yes, please do. And tell us what caused that sudden concern."

"I'm just thinking about how much will change if we stop Adam sooner and he doesn't start killing people, and Spike doesn't… What is changing something that big going to do to us? We have to stay us until after we take care of Glory. Maybe we shouldn't—" She gave Spike a quick glance, but he just smiled his reassurance and nodded.

"I understand your fear, but you and Spike are both already here, so I'm not sure that particular change to your future would cause you any difficulties. This Spike is the one who escaped from those labs in your time, is he not? Which has not happened to him this time. So that's already changed things as far as their organization goes."

"You're right. We're either totally screwing up our future, or we're not. I mean, the Spike and Buffy who got sent back here are who we are, right? So nothing can change that because we're here and we've already changed stuff. That's why we're here. To change things. Or one important thing." Buffy tried to feel as optimistic as she hoped her words were.

"And the important thing is that you survive next year's apocalyptic, potentially world-ending event so you do not have to be brought back from the dead, thus releasing the First Evil on an unsuspecting world." Giles caught them all by surprise.

Buffy gasped and frowned at him, wondering what brought forth that terse declaration in front of Willow. Who was staring between Giles and Buffy, with growing horror on her face.

"You… you died? And came back from the dead? Holy cow! And even my non-religious Jewish parents say Jesus could never have happened…."

"I didn't so much 'come back from the dead' as I was dragged out of my grave and… Heaven…. Real place, by the way. Just FYI. It was nice there even if I don't remember it." Buffy shook herself and exhaled sharply. "But anyway, I was resurrected without getting a vote about it, and…." She hesitated, not sure she wanted to tell Willow that dark magic was even a thing.

"And it was deeply dark magic that was used, which had terrible consequences far beyond simply returning a reluctant Buffy to a life she'd willingly given up to save the world one last time."

 _I guess Giles isn't worried about it._ "Uh, yeah. That. It turns out resurrecting somebody who's supposed to be dead really rattles some cages we'd rather it didn't. And I guess whatever it took to do it —and I don't know anything about that, on account of being dead and all— was pretty dark stuff and…. And that's probably all we should say about it," she finished, giving Giles a hard look. "It was not a good thing, and I'm not going to die this time so we don't have to worry about it."

"If you were dead… I can see why _you_ don't know anything about it, but why doesn't Spike? He's a vampire. He's probably all about the dark magic. For all you know, he did it."

"He didn't." Buffy's response was curt, and Willow flinched at Buffy's tone. "Spike doesn't like magic," Buffy continued in a friendlier manner. "But he does know some important things about it."

"Know enough to stay away from it. That kind of magic has consequences… it _always_ has consequences. Something trained witches learn all about, isn't that right, Rupert?"

"Spike!" Buffy hissed at him and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the hall. "What the hell?"

He exhaled. "Sorry, pet. I'm getting flashbacks to some of things she's done and when she looked like she was about to accuse me of…. I'm sorry," he said again. "I know she hasn't done anything like that yet. But I can see she'd be willing to think about it."

In the other room, a confused Willow was glaring at Giles. "What the hell is he talking about? He acts like he's on your side with all the 'you need training' stuff. I'm not using dark magics!"

"No one said you were," he soothed, sending a worried frown toward Buffy and Spike where they were arguing in the hall.

"Well what's he being such a jerk about then? I think he probably knows a lot about it and just lied to Buffy so she wouldn't think he did it." She glared down the hall, then back at Giles.

"No," Giles said slowly. "I'm quite certain he was not the one who pulled Buffy from her grave. And I suspect it's just as well that we never learn who did. They are to see that it does not happen again."

A subdued Spike and Buffy returned to the room. "Sorry, Red," he said. "Didn't mean to sound like you don't know what you're doing. It's just that dark magic is pretty ugly stuff and I was remembering some of the consequences we—I—Buffy had to deal with. Got a little spooked. I apologize."

"Would you still be apologizing to me if you didn't know I could will your chip to start firing and not stop?" she asked with an offended sniff.

She was busy watching Spike and didn't see Buffy and Giles exchange frightened glances, or the grim expression on Giles's face. With a start, Buffy realized she hadn't mentioned Spike's lack of restraining chip to Willow, and she decided not to. Another exchange of glances with Giles told her he was in complete agreement.

Spike looked at Buffy for direction, and she gave a subtle shake of her head. He shrugged and cocked his head at Willow. "Is that something you think you might do?"

"Oh. No. No, of course not. I didn't mean… I just thought maybe…." She gave him a weak smile. "Can we just start over?"

"Sure," he said. "I'll just be over here away from the windows while you three white hats figure out what you need to say to make it all better."

He walked to the couch and flopped down on it, disappearing from sight.

Giles, Buffy and Willow sat down at the table with cups of tea that Giles had fixed for them.

"Perhaps the best thing for… Adam… would be for him to self-destruct. But I'm not sure how that would work."

Buffy thought a minute, then said, "He's powered by a small atomic 'heart' in his chest. I beat him by getting close enough to rip that out. Maybe we can just make it malfunction?"

Willow spoke up, eager to help. "Like an atomic clock? I could just will it to stop. Or better yet, blow up. If it explodes, he won't be able to wake up, and it would probably destroy his body too."

"You're the science genius," Buffy said. "That sounds good to me. Especially the destroying his body part. Because she might have another power pack she could put in if that one quits."

"Well, that sounds very promising," Giles said, smiling at the two girls. "Now what to do with his creator?"

"Rip her head off her shoulders," Spike's voice drifted over from the couch. He sat up and met their shocked gazes. "Oops. Did I say that out loud? My bad."

He dropped back down where they couldn't see him.

Giles exhaled loudly. "As sympathetic as I am to Spike's opinion of the woman, I'm afraid I don't find that an acceptable solution. We shall have to come up with something else. I will alert the Council to the fact that we have soldiers running all over Sunnydale scooping up vampires and demons, but until we can think of a way of exposing the operation without involving Spike and Buffy…."

"Let's just go with exploding cyborg for now," Buffy said. "If it looks like Professor Walsh is going to be a problem, we'll worry about that later."

"I could make her leave town," Willow said. "Before I break the spell. I could say she gets fired and leaves town."

"That just gives her an opportunity to set up shop somewhere else," Giles said, rubbing his forehead.

"We'll come up with something, Will. Don't worry about it. I think just losing Adam will change a lot about what's going on in that place. Giles is right. We don't want to send her away to start over again somewhere else. If our government is letting her do this, can you imagine what she'd get away with in some countries? We need for her to not want or be able to set up shop somewhere else. Just have to figure out how to do it."

Spike's head came up again, and he started to speak, but stopped when Buffy glared at him. "What? Was just going to suggest we let the watcher get all spelled and sic him on her like he did before."

"Yeah, right. You weren't going to offer to make sure she couldn't do it again," Buffy scoffed.

"Not saying I wouldn't be willing if that was the decision, but I know better."

Giles was frowning. "That's the second time you've referenced my chasing her when I was under a spell. How and why would I do that?"

"Um… I think you went to meet her… in her office. You thought she'd be interested in what my watcher could tell her about vamps and demons. But… remember how I told you she blew off my slaying with my 'pointy sticks'? She was even less charming to you, I guess. You didn't like her at all, so when you were a Fyral demon and spotted her on the street—"

"You told me to stop the car, and you jumped out and chased her down the street. Too bad you weren't enough of a demon to catch her and kill her," Spike said. "You let her get away."

"An obvious failure on my part," Giles muttered. "However, I'm not really interested in repeating what was undoubtedly a fascinating experience, so let's try to come up with something else, shall we?"

Willow raised her hand, somewhat timidly. "Maybe I can just make her forget about it? If she doesn't know what she's been doing there, maybe she won't try it again."

"Hmmmm. If you could mess her up just enough that the people who work for her don't trust her anymore… and that the university starts to worry about her sanity… "

"Then they probably would fire her, and the publicity would discourage other governments from pursuing her."

"First things first, let's take care of Adam."

"Yes, quite. I suggest something along the lines of 'Adam's power pack is going to explode in his chest.' " He paused. "Feel free to add 'There may be collateral damage."

It took Buffy and Willow a few seconds to understand what he meant and was hoping for as collateral damage. Spike however, sent Giles a grin and a thumbs up before ducking back down where Buffy couldn't see him. As she realized what he was suggesting, she glanced at Willow. "Are you okay with that, Willow? You won't know if you hurt anybody else or not."

"I'm not stupid. I know who he hopes is standing close enough to get hurt. But I think I'm okay with it. It won't be like I actually _tried_ to kill her."

Buffy sighed heavily, but nodded. "I guess I'm okay with that. She's going to die soon anyway if we don't do anything."

Willow reached for the pad and pen Giles had in front of him. "I'm just going to write it down exactly how I want to say it so I don't mess it up."

"Perfect," Giles said. "That is exactly what a careful spell caster would do. You have excellent instincts, Willow."

She preened a little and smiled at him. She quickly wrote down the words, frowned, crossed one out, wrote again, then silently slid it to Buffy. Buffy read it, nodded and gave it to Giles, who read it carefully, then smiled at Willow and slid it back to her. "I believe that will do nicely," he said.

Willow nodded, read it silently to herself again, then took a deep breath. As she exhaled, she said, "Adam's atomic power pack is going to explode in his chest tomorrow at noon. It's going to destroy his body, and may injure or kill anyone standing too close to him at the time." She paused, then added, "The explosion is going to be confined to the lab, but the fire alarms are going to go off everywhere, so we should know when it's happened."


	6. Chapter 6

**A surprising (to me) number of readers have expressed concern that when Willow breaks her spell, Adam will suddenly become whole again (after blowing up with his power pack). I'm not sure why that is so. When Willow ended her spell in canon, it didn't make the spell's results not have happened, it simply ended them. So, Giles got his sight back, but it didn't alter the fact that he'd spent several hours unable to see. Had he tripped and barked his shin badly while blind, the bruises wouldn't have vanished with the spell. His shin would still have received that whack and would be wearing the evidence. Ditto for any damage Xander might have suffered from the demons trying to get to him. And neither Buffy nor Spike had suddenly** ** _not_** **spent time indulging in lots of PDAs while thinking they were engaged. They were embarrassed by them, but well aware of what they'd been doing.**

 **So, following that pattern, there's no reason to assume that once his "heart" explodes, Adam won't still be in little bitty pieces even though the "my will be done" spell may be broken. The gist of Willow's spell breaking is that her will would be safe again, and she could no longer accidentally make things happen that she wouldn't have done on purpose. She wished that the spell be broken so the things she wished on them didn't apply anymore, but she doesn't do or say anything to alter what's already happened, she just ends it. So** ** _if_** **she ends her "my will be done" spell so as to not have to worry about accidentally hurting her friends, it isn't going to change anything she already did unless she specifically says to make it not have happened (the way she got her stuff back when Buffy told her to say "all my stuff is back"). Makes sense?**

 **And, as long as we're explaining stuff, there were also some concerns that some of the things Willow says in the story should be having effects. In my version of the world, she has to be pretty specific that something** ** _is_** **going to happen or** ** _is_** **a fact in order for it to go into effect. "I think" or "what if" or "he probably did" types of phrasing are not sufficiently "her will" for them to occur. So "Xander's head will explode" would have been really bad, but "Spike probably did it…." is not. This is also true in canon. She says a lot of stuff, but only the ones plot related actually happened. Don't blame me – love BtVS, but consistency wasn't one of its attributes.**

 **CHAPTER SIX**

The pause when she finished was a bit of a letdown as they realized they had no way to know if it was going to work until the next day. Giles cleared his throat, saying, "That was quite clever of you, Willow. To use the fire alarms to let us know when it happens."

"I'm pretty impressed with myself," Willow said with a smile that almost immediately turned into a satisfied smirk. When she saw the expressions on their faces, the smirk faded. "Uh oh… maybe that was an oops?"

"Maybe?" Buffy tried to be diplomatic. "I mean, we all know how brilliant you are, so obviously you do too… but…"

"But I probably just gave myself an unnecessary boost in self-esteem?" She narrowed her eyes at them. "Is that what you're all thinking? That I just made myself too cocky for my own good? Or for your good?"

"I believe it is something for you to consider," Giles said diplomatically.

Meanwhile, Buffy was trying to glare Spike into not saying the things he clearly wanted to, without drawing Willow's attention to him. With a growl, he retreated behind the couch again, rolling his eyes at the conversation going on across the room.

"Well _I_ believe I just saved the world from a big bad, and without Buffy having to risk her life to fight him." Willow stared at Giles defiantly, growing visibly more annoyed when he couldn't keep the concern from his expression.

"Willow… " Buffy began, not sure exactly what she was going to say, but knowing she had to do something. "…

"Willow, what? Did I or did I not just keep you from having to fight something it took four of us to help you do in your time? Are you going to tell me you want me to give up the ability to do that? Seriously? I could do your job for you. Think about it… all I'd have to do is say 'all vampires are du—'"

Buffy's hand was on her mouth before she could finish. She had no idea if that kind of loosely worded statement would be enough, but she wasn't about to find out. Willow glared at her and shook off her hand, then sighed and nodded.

"I forgot. I guess that's not a good idea, huh? Sorry, Spike," she said as she glanced over her shoulder to where he was staring at her over the back of the couch, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Willow, think about this. Do you want to hurt us? Any of us? And do you want to go through life having to watch everything you say? Just in case something you say without meaning to causes something bad to happen?"

"I wouldn't hurt anyone," she said with a stubborn pout.

"Not on purpose, of course you wouldn't." Buffy refrained from reminding Willow that she'd threatened to make Spike's chip fire continuously only a little while ago. "But remember how you almost said Xander's head was going to explode? Do you really want to have to worry about that? And if you say something about dusting vampires, that's going to include the man I love. Who I thought was dead, by the way, and just found again yesterday. I haven't even had time to… well, never mind. The point is, you won't know if something you say has hurt somebody until it's too late."

Willow chewed her lip, her innate affection for her friends and view of herself as a nice person clearly at war with her new-found sense of importance. "What if…. what if I change the spell for me… to say that my will is done only when I need to do it to save the world? Or one of my friends?" At their dubious expressions, she added, "There could be a 'safe' word or something. Some word I have to say first before whatever comes out of my mouth can actually happen?"

She looked back and forth between Buffy and Giles, sparing a quick glance at Spike who was staring at her with a bemused smile. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, the smile growing into a grin. "Just wondering how you know what a safe word is."

"I read," she huffed, turning back to Giles and Buffy. "So, what do you think? If I say that I can only make things happen if I have to save somebody or something, and that I have to use a certain word first to make it happen?"

Buffy and Giles exchanged a look that said they were going to be discussing it later, but acknowledging that something was better than nothing. It was clear Willow had no intention of giving up her newly found power. Giles nodded and forced a smile.

"That sounds like an excellent solution to what could be a dangerous problem," he said. "Have you thought about how to word it?"

Willow grabbed the pad back and bit her lip as she wrote and rewrote several times before sitting back with a satisfied smile. "This should do it," she said, and before Buffy or Giles could look over what she'd written, she said, "I can only use the My Will Be Done spell's powers when it's important, and I have to say 'gefilte fish' first." When they all blinked at her, she said, "That's a good word… words. I hate… that thing, so I'm not likely to say it by accident."

Buffy and Spike exchanged nods, knowing from experience that they'd probably done the best they could to keep Willow from accidently doing any damage.

"That's… that's great, Wills. I guess all there is to do now is wait to hear the alarms go off."

Willow looked around at the three people watching her with so much caution and said, "You're still worried, aren't you? You don't think I can handle this."

"I think," Giles said with as much affection as he could put into his voice, "that I will bow to the knowledge of those who've known you longer and who know what you are capable of doing with magic. If they're worried, I'm worried."

Willow turned her gaze to Buffy. "Are you worried?"

Buffy shook her head. "I shouldn't have to be. Once we change what happened in our time, none of the rest of it should happen either. And, trust me, you will have a chance to do some really amazing things…" She frowned. "… or not, I guess, if everything works out right." She shrugged and smiled. "I think we have to assume there's always going to be a spring apocalypse, so I'm sure you'll get chances to be amazing. Just maybe not the same ones."

"If nothing else, she can try to counteract that spell that made humans forget about seeing Glory change into Ben. That right there will be a big help when I'm trying to convince all of you that Ben is Glory and Glory is Ben." Spike gave Willow an encouraging nod. "I'll let you know when it's time to do that," he said. "Not something we need to worry about till sometime next year."

"C'mon, Willow. Spike and I will walk you back to the dorm. I think it's dark enough outside now."

"And then what are you going to do?" Giles struggled to keep the frown off his face.

"Patrol." Buffy stared at him. "That's what I do every night. Remember? Slayer. Graveyards. Vampires…."

"I meant, what will you do with Spike?" As he saw the genuine confusion on both her face and Spike's, he reminded himself that he knew very little about their lives since this time.

"Spike patrols with me, Giles. You know— Okay, sorry. I guess you don't know that. And he wasn't actually doing it with me yet in this time. " She glanced at Spike. "What do you think? Is it too weird to have you patrol with me? It isn't something we'd be doing together yet. And Riley and his men are probably still looking for a potential chipee."

"Don't know, love. It's your call. Yours and Rupert's I guess. I'll walk Willow home with you and then we can decide. Maybe I'll go look for a place for us to live that—"

"Spike, _we_ can't live anywhere. Not until we have a chance to figure out how much getting rid of Adam is going to change things. And you need to keep a low profile – at least until we've convinced Riley that you're just another Scooby."

"Well, you know I'm going to be kicked out of here when Rupert's friend comes to call, so I need to start thinking about it. Not going back to Harris's hovel."

"Hey, it was perfect. A basement apartment. What could be better?"

A growl was his only response as he held the door for the two girls. "I guess I'll go look for a place to live. By myself. I'll be back later," he said to Giles as he pulled the door closed. "Don't wait up."

 **XXXXXX**

After seeing Spike off to check out his old crypt and some apartment buildings with basement units, Buffy and Willow continued their walk to the dorm.

"So, in your time, you and Riley got together, huh?"

"Yeah. We gave it a try. But he… he couldn't handle being the Slayer's boyfriend, which he doesn't even know about yet. I guess he'll probably find out pretty soon… but maybe not."

"Why not? Don't you want him to know?"

"Well, I hadn't decided what to tell him yet in our time, and we spent a lot of time lying to each other about our nighttime activities. But when the Gentlemen came to Sunnydale, we ended up fighting their minions at the same time and we sort of worked together to end them, so I had to tell him about being the Slayer. And then Angel showed up and they had a fight, and he found out we were keeping Spike, and his boss tried to kill me, and he slept with Faith, and… yeah, it was kind of downhill from there. "

"Riley slept with Faith?"

"Yep. I mean, he thought she was me, so… but he should have figured it out. Tara knew right aw—"

"Tara?"

"Um, yeah. A new friend. She's really nice and you'll like her, and we all like her, so… I'm just going to stop talking now…."

"There's a Tara in my Wicca group. She's really quiet, but she seems nice…"

"That's her! You should talk to her more. She is really quiet, but when you get to know her…." Buffy looked at Willow from the corner of her eye. "She's a witch too. A real one, not like those wannabes in your group. She does earth magic. Spike called her "Glinda" after the—"

"After the good witch in the Wizard of Oz. Yeah, I got it." She made a face. "Spike doesn't think much of me and magic, does he? Is that because I couldn't do the spell without the book last year? The one to make Dru take him back?"

Buffy sighed. "It's not that he doesn't think you're amazing, and really, by our time you and Spike are pretty much friends, and he's seen you be amazing and help me save the world more than once…. It's just that…. You know what? None of it's going to happen this time around, so there's no point in talking about it. I'll smack him down the next time he sounds cranky about you and magic, 'K?"

Buffy stopped in front of the dorm. "Here you are. I probably won't be too late. I'll just hit a couple of cemeteries and call it a night. But I should patrol. Can't leave it all to Riley and his men. J"

""K. Be careful."

"Hey, to the creatures of the night, I'm the boogieman – er, girl. They should be careful."

 **XXXXXX**

Buffy strolled through two newer cemeteries, staking a few fledglings as they climbed from their graves and scaring a small demon into running off screaming. Buffy recognized the demon as one of the relatively harmless ones that Sunnydale was full of, and winced as she remembered that her younger self would have slain the small demon without thinking about it twice. "If nothing else, more demons will be safe from me this time around," she muttered. "What if I'd killed Clem?"

She looked up and saw that she was at the gate to Restfield. "Huh, guess I'll see if Spike's still here." She was almost to his future home when she caught movement in the shadows. Her slayer senses weren't tingling, but whatever was moving was definitely large and dressed all in black. _Crap! Commandos. In Restfield. I hope Spike isn't—_ No sooner did she have the thought, than she saw his brightly colored head in the distance.

He spotted her at the same time and changed his path, his eyes on nothing but her as he began to smile. Thinking quickly, she spoke loudly enough for his ears, but she hoped not loud enough for the approaching commandos to hear.

"Soldiers! Get lost!." She whirled and darted away from Spike's direction, only to find herself flailing in a net that dropped over her head. She was in the process of swearing and dragging the net and whatever was holding it further into the cemetery when she heard voices.

"Got one!" "Hang on, it's strong!" "I'm coming, I've got the—urk"

There were several more sounds of surprise and abruptly cut off words before Buffy was able to throw off the now loose net. As she'd guessed, she was surrounded by a small group of commandos, all lying on the ground and – she hoped – unconscious. Spike was just fading back to his human face as he walked up to her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, grinning at her. "Can't wait till they explain how something your size got shed of the net and knocked them all out. I'll wager you'll be seven feet tall by the time they have to explain themselves."

"Is that all you did? Knock them out?"

"More or less," he mumbled. "The point is, they're all alive and if they wake up before something else finds them, they'll be fine."

"Okay. Well let's get out of sight in case they wake up and we have to knock them out again."

"The crypt isn't very clean yet… why don't we just hit the Bronze? If anybody sees us, we just look like two normal people out on a date. Not like whatever they're going to claim they saw tonight in a cemetery."

"You don't think they'd recognize us?"

"Only one of them had night goggles on and I got him first. I don't think any of them saw you clear enough to recognize you. And I don't think they even saw me comin'. Too busy trying to hang on to you."

"What kind of idiot doesn't make sure what he's trapping before he throws a net over it? Do I look like a vamp to you?" The more Buffy thought about it, the madder she got. "I should have kicked their butts!"

Spike was laughing as he tugged on her arm. "Next time, I'll leave one of them standing for you, Slayer. But for now, let's get out of here before they wake up and do see what you look like."

 **XXXXXXX**

Buffy had just sat down at a table to wait for Spike to come back with drinks when she felt like someone was watching her. She scanned the room, as casually as she could, pausing when Spike returned with a beer for himself and a Diet Coke for her.

"What?"

"I felt like somebody was looking at me," she said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Of course somebody was looking at you. You're beautiful. But now that they can see you have an escort, they—bloody hell…." He trailed off in a snarl, visibly struggling to keep his brow wrinkle-free and his fangs hidden.

Buffy turned to follow his gaze and found Riley staring back at her, his expression a mixture of anger and disappointment. "Oh shit," she whispered, giving him a sick smile and a small wave. She quickly turned back to Spike. "It's okay. This Riley doesn't know you. He has no idea you're a vampire. Just be cool."

"The look he's giving me isn't friendly," Spike said, pretending to laugh at something she said. "How long have you been dating him?"

"Oh, I don't remember. Just a few weeks I think. I started dating him right after our fight when you had the gem, so whenever that was."

"Then he's got no right to be looking at me like that, just because you happen to be enjoying a drink with me," Spike grumbled. "How do you want to play this? Looks like he's thinkin' about coming over here."

"Ugh! I'm not ready for this yet. I was hoping to avoid him outside of class at least until we have to do something about the Gentlemen. I dunno. Let's just go with you're a friend he hasn't met yet. 'K? And skip the handshake if you can, just in case…." She stopped whispering as Riley approached the table, but she noticed Spike rubbing his hands together under the table.

"Riley! Hi. I didn't know you were going to be here tonight. Riley, this is… Spike. I don't think you've had a chance to meet him yet. Spike, this is Riley. He's the guy I was telling you about the other day. He's the TA in my psychology class and a new… friend. He knows Willow, cause she's in the same class, and I think he's met Xander and Anya… but not Giles. And not you. Except now he has. Met you, I mean… I think I'll just stop talking now…"

Riley smiled affectionately at Buffy, then at Spike. "She's adorable when she babbles, isn't she?" he said as he held out his hand. "So you're part of her little gang of townie friends?"

Spike took Riley's hand and forced his own smile. "Yes. We say that all the time… how bloody adorable Buffy is when she's babbling. Nice to meet you."

Buffy frowned as it became obvious that the two men were engaging in that old male competition of who can make the other guy let go first. She kicked Spike's foot under the table, causing him to let go and shake his hand out.

"That's quite a grip you've got there, Cap—Riley."

"You too… Spike," Riley said, rubbing his own hand against his leg. "Surprising for someone your size."

"I'm stronger than I look," Spike said blandly. "Like little Buffy here. She can surprise you."

While Buffy muttered, " _Little Buffy!"_ with a glare that made Spike grin, Riley replied, "She constantly surprises me. I'm looking forward to more of it," he continued turned his warm gaze on Buffy. "I'm hoping you'll have many more surprises for me. Good ones."

"Heh," she managed. "You can probably count on it." She tried to finish her comment with a smile that wasn't flirty enough to make Spike growl aloud, but warm enough to give Riley no reason to think he couldn't keep seeing her.

"Well, I'd ask to join you and your… friend, but I was just about to head out when you came in. It's getting kinda late to just be starting an evening, isn't it?

"We were visiting with some old high school friends and chatting up a storm. I was feeling a little parched, so we thought we'd stop for something to drink before I see Buffy back to her dorm room. She's a bit of a night owl – but then you probably know that by now, don't you?" Spike's expression was open and friendly as he waited for Riley to agree with him.

"Uh, well, I can't say I… I mean usually when we see each other, it's daytime and…" He paused and looked at Buffy again. "Although I think I may have caught her dozing off during Maggie's lectures once or twice. Good thing she's got Willow there to poke her awake."

"Yeah. Good thing. That's Willow for you. I can always count on her to keep me awake." Buffy did her best to look both ditsy and not as sleepy as she actually felt.

"Well, nobody pokes me awake except—I mean, I guess I'd better get back to the frat house. See you tomorrow for lunch, Buffy?"

"Sure," she said before thinking about it. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria around noon, 'K?"

"Sounds like a date," he said, smiling at her. "Goodnight. Hope you both have a good rest of your evening."

Spike waited until Riley had left the Bronze before growling, "Sounds too bloody much like a date to me."

"What else was I going to do? We've been having lunch together almost every day for a couple of weeks. It's not like I can just shut him down now. It's bad enough that I'm not sure he believed me that you're just one of the gang."

"Don't care what he believes," Spike said, continuing to pout. "The wanker tried to crush my hand."

"He couldn't really do that, could he?"

Spike gave her one of his lifted eyebrows. "Seriously, Slayer?"

"Well, you didn't crush his, did you?" Buffy plowed on with her need to know what they had and hadn't given away.

"Was giving it some thought by then. All things considered, it's probably good that you kicked me when you did. Pretty sure this time around the big hayseed and I aren't going to like each other any more than we did before."

"He doesn't have to like you, as long as he doesn't suspect you're one of the creatures he captures or dusts every night. When he sees you with us fighting Vahrall demons on the hellmouth, he'll probably believe that you're just another Scooby."

Spike nodded. "I'll try to remember not to punch one of them into the opening," he said. "No need for anyone to be hanging over that maw trying to pull anything out of it."

Buffy shuddered. "That wasn't a highlight of the night, for sure."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

As they walked toward the campus, Buffy unconsciously moved closer to Spike, expecting they would brush arms as they walked. To her surprise, he shifted slightly away from her and shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head again, clearly listening, his eyes flaring yellow as he sent his gaze around the area near the dorms.

"Somebody's watching," he whispered to her. "Best keep our distance for a bit."

"If somebody's messing up my goodnight kiss…" she muttered, too low for any hearing but his.

He chuckled appreciatively, but remained a safe distance away, keeping his voice low. "Looks like, love. I think it's the big lump and one friend. Sounds like they've got the night goggles but not the sound equipment. He probably just grabbed what was handy and ran here to see if you were really going back to the dorm."

"I don't think I'm going to like him as much this time around," she grumbled as they reached the door. "Maybe you should come in until they leave? What if they figure out what you are?"

"I'm not planning to do anything to give that away. Should have enough of a heat signature to show up on their goggles. Once I'm out of sight, I'll be gone like the wind, so it's not like they can follow me home."

"You're not going back to the crypt, are you?" As they tried to maintain the illusion of two friends chatting before saying goodnight, they smiled and nodded, laughing occasionally.

"Told the watcher I'd be back later, so that's prob'ly what I should do. Unless I find a better place to stay the night…."

"If it involves Harmony Kendall, you're toast — or dust. Just so you know."

He threw his head back in a genuine laugh.

"No worries, luv. I'm just going back to Rupert's through the sewers. No one will ever know I'm there."

"All right, just be careful, okay? And remind me tomorrow to go to Mom's and get that ring for you."

"Don't believe I'll have any trouble remembering to do that," he said. "You'd best get upstairs now. We've been chatting long enough to make him wonder what we had to talk about so long." He growled under his breath. "Not that the bloody wanker has any right to—"

Buffy giggled. "For a minute there I was admiring how mature and sensible you were being about this. Nice to know the real Spike is still in there."

"Really? Miss 'you're dust if you see Harmony' pot? Calling this kettle black, are you?"

"Whatever." Buffy waved her hand in dismissal. "Just go. Get out of here and don't get captured."

"Yes, ma'am, Slayer, ma'am." He gave her a mock salute and turned away. "See you tomorrow, Buffy," he said slightly louder than before.

"Night, Spike." She also raised her voice enough for anyone within listening distance to hear.

 **xxxxxxx**

She went inside and up to her room to find Willow, toothbrush in hand, just coming back from the bathrooms.

"Hey, thought you'd be asleep already."

"I'm crashing. How did the evening go? Did you and Spike have smoochies? Is that why you're so late?"

"I wish!" Buffy started undressing while she filled Willow in on almost being captured by commandos and then getting caught by Riley at the Bronze with Spike."

"Wow. Do you think he bought it? That Spike's just another Scooby?"

Buffy sighed. "I don't know. It's like guys have some kind of radar sometimes that tells them they're meeting a rival. Must be a testosterone thing. I mean, of course, Spike already knows that I dated Riley for a long time and that we… you know. But Riley has no reason to think Spike is anything but what I told him he is."

.

"Men are poopheads," Willow said… "And boy am I glad we fixed the spell so that didn't happen! That would've been awful!"

"Could have been really messy," Buffy agreed, then they both burst into giggles.

Willow shook her head. "On that note, I'm going to get some sleep before I accidently create something else disgusting." She looked at Buffy for a second, then added, "I'm really glad you trusted me enough to tell me about where and you and Spike came from. And that you were here to stop me from hurting anyone I care about."

"In your defense, when you broke the spell, you felt really, really bad about what you'd done and you baked us a lot of 'I'm sorry' cookies. It was almost worth it." Buffy grinned at her. "But it's just as well. Making Adam explode is going to be so much more useful than making Xander any more attractive to demons than he already is."

"Yeah. Definitely." Willow yawned. "Okay, I'm off to dreamland. I want to wake up in time to hear the fire alarms."

"Yep. Big day tomorrow." Buffy debated about talking to Willow about giving up the spell completely, but decided bedtime wasn't the best choice for a serious conversation. _Maybe she'll think of it herself when she thinks about what a mess she could have made just now._

 **xxxxx**

Buffy and Willow strolled around campus, trying not to look as if they were expecting anything.

"Do you think it looks weird? Just hanging out here when there aren't any classes today?"

"I dunno. But if we don't…. oh, crap! I forgot I'm supposed to meet Riley for lunch at the cafeteria. Want to come with?"

'Uh, okay? Do you think he'll be there? If the lab goes 'boom' at noon?"

Buffy shrugged. "He's supposed to meet me at noon, so he shouldn't be in the lab then. At worst, he'll be on his way to the cafeteria. We know he probably won't stay long when the alarms to go off, so he won't have time to wonder why you're with me."

"You're using me to keep this from being too much like a date, aren't you?"

"Maybe? It's a good thing you didn't say that fishy word before you said that," Buffy said with a smile. "Because if I wasn't already thinking it, I would be now."

Willow sighed and bit her lip. "As tempting as it is to be able to just get whatever I want by saying I have it, I'm really glad you talked me into altering that spell. Got to admit, I don't miss feeling miserable, so that was a good result. But I can't even imagine how many things I could screw up just by opening my mouth without thinking. Tell me again what happened before?"

"Well, Giles came looking for you to see why you didn't come to him to do the truth spell on Spike, and you just wanted to stay in the room and cry, so when he got testy with you and said he could see you were upset, you told him he couldn't see anything. And by the time he got back to his apartment, he couldn't. He was blind. And then you got annoyed when he called to tell me Spike had escaped, and you said I didn't need to leave right then because it would only take a couple of seconds to find him, and poof! All of a sudden I was standing right beside him. And then Xander—"

Willow interrupted Buffy's recital to say, "Oh, look, there's Riley. He's been waiting for us – you. He doesn't look thrilled to see me here."

"He'll get over it," Buffy said, breaking into an insincere smile. "Right about now!" she added as suddenly fire alarms were going off everywhere and people began running to the outside doors and leaving the building.

Riley rushed up to them. "Let's get out of here. There must be a kitchen fire or something—" A completely different sort of alarm began screaming, and Riley's face paled. "Oh my God. I've got to go. Stay away from the buildings… all of them…"

Without another word, he ran off toward the direction of Lowell House, leaving Buffy and Willow staring after him.

"Well, looks like something's gone wrong down there. I don't suppose there's anyway we can find out exactly what it was…."

Buffy shrugged. "I'll give Riley a call later just to tell him we're fine and ask if he knows what happened. He's obviously not going to tell me a secret underground lab blew up, but maybe he'll slip up and say something about Professor Walsh."

"Oh." Willow looked disappointed. "What are we doing to do for the rest of the weekend? What did we do in your time?"

"Well, after you broke the spell… we mainly ate cookies you baked. Lots of cookies." Buffy gave her a hopeful smile, but Willow just shook her head.

"I don't owe anybody 'I'm sorry' cookies this time."

"True," Buffy said with a sigh. "It was worth a try, though. I guess we should just go back and tell Giles it looks like it worked."

 **xxxxxx**

To Buffy's surprise, when she used Giles's phone to call Riley that evening, he was too busy to talk to her.

"I'm sorry, Buffy. I've got to… we've got a… situation… here and I have to— there goes one, men! Gotta go. Stay indoors tonight!"

Buffy hung up. "Something's up. There's lots of yelling, and he told me to stay indoors tonight."

"I'd guess the captive demons and whatever's left of their science projects have somehow got loose," Spike said. "They're probably escaping."

"Crap! I'll bet you're right. I didn't even think about that possibility." Buffy went to the weapon chest and picked out a sword and grabbed some more stakes. She tossed another sword to Spike, saying, "Let's go. Maybe we can head them off before they get too far from campus."

"Buffy…" Giles looked at Spike. "Aren't you taking a chance risking Spike out there where there are soldiers looking for escaped demons and, one must assume, vampires?"

"Not lettin' her go out there alone," Spike growled. "We'll be okay as long as I don't let my fangs show and use the sword on the demons. Doubt they will be looking for many vamps. Most of the ones that were in there with me either died during that sadistic cow's 'tests', or got dusted when they were done. All she cared about for parts were demons. And a vamp strong enough to put the chip in," he added.

 **xxxxxx**

"Here we go, love. Incoming." Spike moved far enough away from Buffy to give them both room to work. The oncoming demons hesitated for a second when they saw her, but sounds of gunfire from behind them gave them courage and they continued running at Buffy and Spike.

With a whoop, Spike leapt to meet them, using the sword to remove heads and limbs rather than fighting them as he normally would. Buffy worked more methodically, but soon had a pile of bodies in front of her to rival the one in front of Spike. Neither of them noticed Riley putting out an arm to halt his small squad of commandos as he saw what was happening in front of them.

Recognizing one of the escaping demons, Spike said, "Get out of here, Clem." The wrinkled demon gave Buffy a quick glance, but she just waved with the hand that wasn't holding the sword and said, "Do what he says."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Clem said as he went around them. "Thanks."

Buffy had turned to watch Clem leave, giving a short, but powerful-looking demon a chance to knock her down. Before it could do any damage, Buffy had kicked it away so hard it ended up at Riley's feet. Without taking his eyes off Buffy, now back on her feet and fighting again, Riley shoved the demon toward one of his men, who promptly shot it.

He watched as Buffy and Spike slowed down, the escaped demons now either dead, or running in other directions. Riley pointed toward the fleeing creatures and sent his men after them, while he remained staring at Buffy and Spike who had finally noticed him.

"Reckon that little secret's out, pet," he said, acknowledging Riley with a nod. "For both of you."

"Yeah. This isn't exactly when or where it happened, but it is what it is." She let her sword dangle from her hand as Riley picked his way around the dead demons to approach them.

"Uh. Hi," she said. "Gee, I wonder where all these demons came from?"

"It's classified," Riley said, staring at Spike, then back at Buffy. "How do you know about these sub-terrestrials? And why did you call them demons?"

"Because that's what they are. Demons. They love it here in Sunnydale because of the hellmouth." She peered at him. "You know about the hellmouth, right?"

"If you mean the power center under the ruins of the high school..."

"Power center – hellmouth. You say tomato, I say tomahto." She looked up at his frowning face. "Is that all of them? Or are there some still left down there?"

Before he could stop himself, Riley said, "No, everything else is—" He looked horrified. "How did you know—?"

Buffy just shrugged. "That's classified too," she said. "If that's it then, we'll just head—"

"You're not heading anywhere," Riley said, pulling out his handgun. "You must be what my men almost captured the other night. They tried to say it looked like a small woman, but I didn't believe them." He glared at Spike. "They also said something took them down from behind and knocked them all unconscious."

Spike stared back blandly. "Did they? Well, you know how it is in graveyards at night. Dangerous places to be." Moving slowly so as not to alarm Riley, Spike worked his way in front of Buffy, blocking her from any possible shots. Buffy touched his back briefly to express her gratitude, but peered around him at Riley.

"We're on the same side, Riley… well, maybe not the _same_ side. But we slay demons and vampires too. I'm the Slayer. Look it up."

Riley was still holding his gun, but allowed the muzzle to drop a little. "I don't understand…."

"I know," she said sympathetically. "Look it up and we'll talk… later."

"You can't leave yet." Riley started to bring the gun back to bear on Spike, blinking when instead of flinching Spike moved quickly and batted it away.

"I think we can," Spike said, as Buffy scooped up the pistol and kicked Riley's bigger weapon out of reach.

Before anyone could make another move, a dazed Fyral demon came stumbling up to them, roaring as he focused on Buffy. Spike grabbed him as he went past and picked him up, tossing him at Riley with a "here, catch". Without waiting to see the outcome, he and Buffy took off running, not stopping until they were well away from campus and any chance of running into more commandos.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Well, that went… about as bad as it could've. He wasn't all suspicious like that when he saw me fight in our time… he just didn't know slayers were a thing."

"In all fairness to the big lump, last time he hadn't seen you with me yet, nor had his buddies insisted they'd been attacked by a girl in a cemetery. And you'd been dating him a bit longer, hadn't you?"

"Not that much longer." Buffy refused to allow herself to admit Riley may have had reason to be suspicious of her.

"Long enough for him to give you the benefit of the doubt while he checks out what a slayer is."

"Well I hope he still looks it up. I don't want to spend the rest of this year having to dodge the Initiative. Or whatever's going to be left of them after this."

"So, Slayer, what do you want to do with the rest of the night…?" He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. She gave him a small smile, but shook her head.

"I guess we need to find you a place to live if you don't want to stay in your crypt. I don't know how we're going to do that at night, though."

"I made some phone calls and did some looking around last night. Found a basement apartment that the building super was willing to show us this evening. Told him my 'wife' was at work and you couldn't come to look at it until you got off." He started walking, taking her hand until she was walking beside him. With an apologetic shrug, she squeezed his hand and then let go.

"Why do I have to go? I won't be living there… not right away, anyhow."

"You'll be there often enough," he growled. "If you don't think you will be, I'll just go ahead and fix up the crypt. But I wanted to get someplace that's safe for you, and that means you have to sign the lease."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. You'll be safer too if other vamps can't come in."

"Not me I'm worried about, but don't need to be wonderin' if we're going to be interrupted in the middle of something important."

Buffy slowed her steps and cocked her head. "How come you never worried about that back when I was at your crypt all the time. Anybody could have come in…. Xander did catch us that one time, he just didn't know it."

"I dunno, love. I guess I'd been so used to livin' there by that time that the idea of movin' just didn't occur to me. It's not like you didn't threaten to end it every bloody time you were there, is it?" He sighed and returned her apologetic squeeze when she linked her hand linked with his again. "Anyway, it wasn't likely any vamps or demons were going to break into my home by then. I'd had a couple of years to make it very clear what would happen to anything that tried. I still had that much of a rep in the demon world. And I did what I could – had the tunnels blocked with a locked gate and had a bar for the door. I just never used the bar because I didn't want you to be locked out if you wanted to come see me. And didn't have time to think about it when you were all invisible. What with you ripping my shirt off and all…"

"We really did treat you like you weren't important enough to—"

"Sometimes you did, sometimes you didn't… Not like I never just walked into your house… or your bedroom… without knockin'. It's not who we were then." He dropped her hand and brushed his shoulder against hers. "It's right up there. The building with all the trees around it."

"We probably ought to hide these swords in those bushes before we walk up to the office," Buffy said. "We don't want to scare the other tenants."

Spike handed his sword to Buffy and kept watch as she hid them under some nearby shrubbery. "I hope nobody takes them," she said. "Giles hates it when I lose weapons."

"Did that a lot, did you?" he asked, leading her up the walk to a door marked "office". Buffy knocked on the office door, then tried the knob. A pleasant-looking man ran over and opened it for them. She nodded her understanding when Spike gestured for her to precede him into the office, silently pointing to the invisible barrier he'd almost bounced off.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pratt?" the man asked, smiling at them. "Please come in while I get the keys. I'm Mr. Butterfield, but you can call me Max."

"We appreciate you staying up to show us the apartment," Spike said as he followed Buffy through the door. "I'm sure it's an inconvenience."

"No. It's no problem. As I told you yesterday evening, I'm often here late at night finishing up paperwork of one sort or another."

"It's not always safe to be open late at night," Buffy said with a slight frown. "I mean, that's what I've heard…"

"I keep the door locked," he said with a tight smile. "And I've taken other… precautions."

"Good idea," Spike said. "You just never know…"

"So true." Max gave Spike a long stare before holding up the keys. "Here we are. If you'll just follow me… we'll have to go back outside to get into it. The apartment that's vacant has its own outside entrance for some reason. All the others down there open into the basement hallway."

They followed him outside, smiling when he locked the door behind him. He led them around the side of the building, down a few steps to a small paved patio in front of a sturdy-looking door. Using one of the keys in his hand, he opened the door and stepped back to let them look inside. He hit a light switch and a small, but clean and pleasant-looking living room was in front of them.

Buffy went in, taking Spike's hand and pulling him with her. They looked around the living area, checked out the tiny kitchen corner, and then followed Max into a small bedroom with a newly remodeled bathroom off it. The apartment was sparsely furnished with just a chair in one corner of the bedroom and a saggy sofa in the living room.

"What do you think, love? Will this do us? It's not like we're going to be here all that much."

"Oh really?" Max said. "Why is that?"

"Buffy is a college student during the day, and she works for a few hours most nights, so she'll be in and out for a while. We haven't been married very long and we're still sorting things out. Her mum lives in town too, so between that and the other places she has to be, it's gonna be mostly me sleeping here until we work out when she can move in permanently."

"But I thought you wanted her to sign the lease?"

"I do. Want it to belong to both of us… just in case. But I'll be paying the rent and whatnot."

Max narrowed his eyes at them, a small frown creasing his brow. Buffy gave him her best grownup, I'm-a-competent-woman-who-just-happens-to-be-beautiful smile. "He'll pay the rent, but I'm going to pick out the furniture and curtains," she said. "I might be in and out during the day, too. When I don't have classes."

"We're going to need to order some furniture tomorrow, pet. At least a bed…" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she blushed, making Max chuckle.

"Ah, newlyweds. I remember those days." He beamed at them. "So, if you like it, let's go back upstairs and do the paperwork." He led the way out of the apartment, locking the door behind him and handing Spike one of the keys.

Buffy gave him her home address and phone, as well as Giles's phone number. "That's… sort of my work number," she said. "It's my… boss's… phone and if I'm not at my mom's, he can probably reach me. And this number is my friend Willow's at the dorm. Technically, I still live there. We have a lot of classes together, so she can find me around campus if I'm not hanging out in the dorm room."

"And you?" Max looked at Spike expectantly. "Do you have a work number?"

"Not as such, no. Thinking about getting one of those new portable phones, but for now, we'll just have something in the apartment." Spike took out a roll of bills and peeled off enough for the deposit and the first month's rent. "Sorry about the cash. It's how I do business. Can give you the name of the bank I use if you want to check it out, but it's honest money. I gamble a bit, but I'm not a drug dealer or anything like that."

"None of my business," Max said firmly. "I wasn't going to ask." He handed Buffy the other key. "You can take possession as soon as you want," he said. "There's always someone in the office in the daytime if you want to schedule furniture deliveries or anything like that. There will always be someone here to let them in."

"Thank you. I hope we can find at least a few things tomorrow and maybe move in by Monday or Tuesday. Depends on when things can be delivered I guess."

"Thanks, mate. I promise we'll be quiet neighbors."

 **XXXXX**

"So, where are you going to stay tonight?" Buffy asked as she retrieved their swords from the bushes and handed one to him.

He shrugged. "Was going to hang out with Rupert, but I think I'll work on the crypt and just go to the watcher's when it's almost daylight. I'm going to stake my claim in Restfield just like I did before. You never know when we might need a bolt hole come next year, or this year if your giant mistake for a boyfriend doesn't come around."

"So you're going to live in the apartment AND in the crypt?"

He shrugged. "I'll only need to be in the apartment if you're going to be there. I checked it out last night before I set up the appointment, and I can use the tunnels and sewers to go from the crypt to the apartment. There's a manhole opens in the alley behind the building. I can make it from there to the apartment with a little help from my coat or a blanket."

"Smelling like a sewer…"

"You can just throw me in the shower and scrub me down if I smell," he said with a leer.

"Speaking of showers… I have demon goo in my hair. I'm surprised Max didn't notice and ask me what it was."

"I think our new landlord knows more than he lets on. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew exactly who you are. And I'm not real sure he doesn't have me sussed out too…"

"You don't think he's a demon, do you?"

"Didn't smell like one. But he could be something else… human, but with magic skills. Anyway, seems he wouldn't mind having the Slayer living in his building."

"You know we can't let Mom know, right? That's one of the reasons I can't just move in with you. To her, you're just that vamp that shows up once in a while to cry on her shoulder. She doesn't know where either one of us is from. I can't imagine how much she'd wig if she thought I was living with you."

"She'd probably take the axe to me again." He laughed, then gave her a sideways glance and put his arm around her. "How's that working out – seeing your mum again? Are you okay?"

Buffy sighed and leaned into him. "To be honest, I've tried to stay away as much as possible. I already freaked her out by hugging her too tight the first time I saw her. It's just so hard not to cling, knowing she might be gone by the end of next year."

"There's got to be a way to fix that," he growled. "We've got a whole year to figure it out."

"Or it might be one of those things we can't change… I have to be ready to live with that."

He growled again and shook his head before changing the subject.

"Are you going back to the dorm? Could be we'll need that bolt hole now if Captain America doesn't do his due diligence and learn what a slayer is."

"Oh. I didn't think about that. Damn! I guess I should give him time to do that before I wander around on campus again." She sighed as she moved close to him again. "Now I wish the crypt _was_ set up. We could just spend the night there."

"Reckon it's back to the Watcher's for us then. Or for you, anyway. Since it's not likely Rupert is going to let us sleep together, I may as well work on the crypt. At least get a bedroom set up downstairs. Can work on the rest of it later."

"I can't believe we've back together for the first time since I left you to burn up—"

"Don't go there, Buffy. You did what I told you to do, and I did what needed to be done. I'm just grateful that amulet gave me another chance to be in your life. In a way, anyway. I might get a little cranky if I have to keep pretending…."

"I know. That's what I was going to say. Here we are, in the same place at the same time, with no big apocalypse to worry about until next year, and we can't even really _be_ together because we're supposed to be us from a time when we were still pretty much enemies."

"We're going to have to find a way, love. I'm not planning to be away from you for one bloody second more than I have to. And if some of that time isn't just the two of us, alone, in a bed, naked…." He sighed and adjusted his pants. "Giving myself a stiffy just talkin' about it."

Buffy giggled. "The soul might still be there, but sometimes you sound a lot like the you I first met."

"Must be bein' back here in this time," he said. "Makes me want to be the Big Bad again."

"Well, after you got that chip, you weren't all that big and bad, you know…."

"Was till Red did that stupid spell – which she hasn't given up on, I'd like to remind you – and I had a lap full of warm Buffy all night. I think my days as the Big Bad started to fade right then and there."

"You're just saying that," she said, nudging his shoulder. "You hated me again the minute that spell ended."

"If you'll think back to that exact minute, you were layin' on top of me and kissing the livin' daylights out me. Trust me, love, the only thing I was hating then was that you weren't there anymore."

"Okay. So, first thing tomorrow you find a bed for the apartment and something for the crypt. I'll go to my mom's and get the ring, and I'll meet you one place or the other."

"Tomorrow's Sunday, love. I can probably order them, but I can't go out in the daylight to pay for them, and nobody's going to deliver on a Sunday. I'll have to give you the money, you can go pay for the one for the apartment and give them the address, and I'll take care of getting the one delivered to the crypt."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the crypt tomorrow afternoon I guess."

"I'll be there. I'm just going to drop you off here and get back to Restfield before I stumble across any commandos searching for runaway demons."

"'K. Be careful." She went up on her toes for a goodnight kiss that quickly turned into something that threatened to provide entertainment for anyone walking by. The sound of Giles clearing his throat broke them apart, to the accompaniment of Spike's best snarl.

"My apologies," Giles said with little sincerity, "but I do not believe you should be outside just now. I have information from the Council." He frowned at Spike. "Both of you should hear this."


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

With a shrug, Spike followed Buffy into the apartment, shedding his coat and taking the swords to the weapon box. Before Giles could say anything, Spike had pulled out the cleaning materials and started wiping the weapons down. Giles watched, frowning, as Spike completed the cleanup and put the swords and cleaning supplies back in the box. As he closed it, Spike noticed Giles staring at him.

"What? Wasn't raised by wolves, you know. I know how to treat a weapon."

Giles shook his head. "I was just watching you go right to the weapon chest and not only know where to put the swords, but what to do before you put them away and where those materials are kept. And, perhaps really for the first time, fully understanding that you are who and what you say you are."

"You didn't believe us?" Buffy expression went from shocked to dismayed. "All this time you thought we were lying?"

"No. No." Giles shook his head again. "I have accepted your story at face value, but I believe I've been subconsciously believing… or hoping… there was some… some other explanation for how you could know what you know, and how you could trust a vicious demon the way you seem to. Some explanation that doesn't involve your having come back from both the grave and the future, and with another souled vampire in your life. One that I only know as a vicious killer."

"What you mean is, you were hopin' the Slayer and me aren't really together," Spike said, walking over to Buffy. "Trust me when I tell you your future self didn't like seein' that either. And he didn't have to watch anything like what you just caught us doing. Just didn't want me to be that important a part of Buffy's life and plans."

"And was he?" Giles turned his attention to Buffy. "Such an important part of your life that you wouldn't heed my advice?"

"He was," she said simply. "I think your actual words were 'you depend upon each other too much' or something like that. You thought that somehow having someone in my life that horrible year… someone who I could rely on to support me no matter what, was a bad thing." She studied his puzzled face, debating whether or not she should tell him he'd tried to have Spike killed.

Beside her, Spike touched her arm and whispered, "Let it go, love. No sense giving him any ideas."

She nodded and added, "Turns out, you couldn't have been more wrong. Not only did he give me the courage to get the weapon I needed, he ended up finishing that battle by himself… and burning to a crisp in the process. So, yeah. He really was… and is… or will be, if and when we get some time to ourselves without having fires to put out." Spike walked away, shaking his head and laughing. "What?"

"You'll let me know when we get to a time like that, won't you, pet?"

"It could happen. You don't know…" Buffy pouted. "It _could!"_

"I s'pose it could, but I won't be holdin' my breath till then."

"You don't have any breath!"

"That's the best you've got? I don't have any breath?"

She glared at him, trying to keep her lips from twitching at the grin on his face, but ultimately failing and laughing with him. "It was the best I could do right now."

"As amusing as this is," Giles said with a sigh, "the point I was making is that what has been more convincing than your words when you first came to me with this incredible story are your obviously comfortable interactions with each other, as well as Spike's obvious familiarity with my home and belongings and your more mature approach to problems. I am seeing that I must accept what is so obviously true. Not only are you from a time several unpleasant years from now, but you somehow have progressed from sworn enemies to… I'm not sure what. I'm not clear on exactly what your current status is. Comrades in the fight against evil? Partners? Lovers?"

"Yes." Spike's answer was short and sure, although he sent Buffy a quick glance to make sure she agreed.

"What he said," she replied. "In our time, he was around a lot this year, and we were becoming friends and slaying partners by next year. And… you don't really need to know about the time I was dead – except to tell you that while I was… gone, Spike kept his promise to protect Dawn, and by extension my friends. Including you for as long as you were around—"

"Don't tell me I died too!"

"What? No, don't be silly. You went back to England. No slayer meant no Watcher needed…. apparently." She tried to keep the anger from her voice about the way he'd left her sister and friends to fend for themselves, but the way he flinched told her she hadn't succeeded.

"And this is off the subject," she said briskly. "I don't want to have that conversation and neither do you. What you wanted to know is what Spike and I are now, and how we got there. Yes, we were lovers for a while after I came back. I was in a bad place mentally and it didn't go well. But before that, and after that, he was my friend. Someone I could trust to take care of my family and to be there for me when I needed him. And by the time we were fighting the First, he was the one I trusted the most, the only one I knew was on my side no matter what." She gave Spike a sad smile. "And then it was his turn to die to save the world, and I thought he was gone."

"And then now it's my turn to come back," he said, putting an arm around her and squeezing her shoulder.

"Sometimes the Powers that Be get it right," she said smiling up at him.

"Looks like."

They smiled at each other for another few seconds, then broke apart.

"So, Giles, what is so important that you interrupted my goodnight kiss?"

"Ah yes. The actual reason for inviting you to come in… aside from not shocking the neighbors…. I've spoken to the Council and they were able to find information about a similar type of operation run by—"

"Run by the bloody Nazis!" Spike went into a full minute of swearing before stopping to explain. "You can thank your ex for giving those records to the US government, Slayer."

"When you are ready to explain how you know this, I'd love to hear it. In the meantime, it appears that it is a very secret organization, and not necessarily approved of by everyone. The fact that it has backfired to some extent, with the lab having blown up and many of their experimental subjects escaped, means that those who were opposed to it in the first place will be taking advantage of the situation to shut it down."

"The Council told you all that?"

"Not in so many words, but there has apparently been a great deal of "chatter" as they call it on certain government sites. Sites to which the Council seems to have access for some reason."

"Because they're wankers and think they have to mind everybody's business?" Spike offered.

"Perhaps." Giles was unperturbed. "The point is, if you can maintain a low profile for another few days, the Initiative and its demon-hunting commandos should be a thing of the past."

"Uh…" Buffy exchanged looks with Spike. "I guess 'low profile' means, don't let them see us slaying their escaping science projects?"

Giles gave a low groan. "Does that mean it's too late?"

"Oh yeah. Didn't get a chance to share that yet. Riley saw us slaying the escaping demons and he tried to… I dunno… arrest us? Or capture us? Not sure what he was thinking, but he didn't want to let us leave."

"All the more reason to remain out of sight until we can determine that they have left Sunnydale… or at least have quit their efforts to capture you. It's possible the Council can be of some assistance there…." He walked to his desk and scribbled a note to himself.

Buffy looked dubious. "We've got the Gentlemen coming up, and then those wanna-open-the-hellmouth guys. Are they gonna be gone before then?"

"It's hard to say. But certainly for the next several days, you should remain difficult to find. Since I have not yet met your former admirer, it should be safe for me to bring you food and whatnot wherever you decide to stay. I cannot suggest, Buffy, that you go to your mother's. I'm sure the Initiative has access to school records and could easily obtain that address. You're welcome to remain here…." His voice trailed off as he watched them move closer together. "Although, perhaps you would prefer someplace more private…." he sighed, closing his eyes briefly.

Buffy and Spike held a whispered conversation, then she nodded and looked at Giles.

"If you don't mind, I'll stay here tonight. Spike was going to work on the crypt—" At Giles's raised eyebrows, she added, "Oh, I forgot. You've never seen it. In our time, he lived in a big two-story mausoleum in Restfield and he'd fixed it up pretty nice. Right now, it's just a big, cold, stone building. But if he can get it cleaned up, and find some furniture tonight, we can probably hide out there for a couple of days. As long as we have food and water."

"You don't mind that?" Giles stared at Buffy as if she'd lost her mind.

"Well, I… I'm kind of used to it. I mean, that's where he lived until he went to get his soul. And we… all of us… It was just his house. Where Spike lives…Nobody minded," she muttered at seeing his still shocked face.

"You'll be surprised, Watcher," Spike said, laughing at his disgusted expression. "But we've got more Buffy-friendly accommodations too. Just won't be able to put furniture in them for a bit if Buffy can't be out and about tomorrow."

"Perhaps I can help with that," Giles said stiffly, obviously still disturbed that Buffy had no qualms about sleeping in a graveyard. "You may use my credit card to order what you need." He glared at Spike. "I don't suppose you were provided with cash when you came back here?"

"Didn't need to be," Spike said without explanation. "Know where it is, and where to get more of it." He took out his wallet and thumbed through the contents. "I'll be needing some of this tonight, but I'll get more and we can pay you back tomorrow for whatever Buffy orders. She'll give you the address and tell you what she needs right away. Anything else can wait until we know the soldier boys aren't trying to capture her."

"How are you going to do all this on a Saturday night? A getting-rather-close-to-Sunday morning, Saturday night?"

Spike cocked his head and stared at Giles, then he shook his head and snorted, saying, "You explain it to him after I leave, love. Can't believe he doesn't know any better than that, but…." He leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "G'night, Slayer. I'll talk to you tomorrow." With a wave at Giles, he went out the door, saying, "Best lock this behind me."

XXXXXX

"I've got it," Buffy said as Giles moved in that direction.

"Fine. I'll just be over here sitting on my own furniture unless you two have plans for that too."

Buffy sighed as she locked the door, then joined Giles on the couch. "I'm sorry. It's not that we're trying to be bossy. Really, we aren't… well, maybe Spike is, a little…. But we know so much that you don't—and you will," she hastened to add when his frown deepened. "But maybe you wouldn't know it right now because it isn't something we learned about until Spike had been around us more than he has so far. I mean, he was here, and then he was at Xander's for a while – which isn't going to happen this time – but except for grilling him about the soldiers and the labs, we weren't really paying much attention to what he said. And he wasn't very interested in helping us either. Not unless he thought it might help him get the chip out."

"Fine," Giles said again, with slightly less annoyance. "So, where is he off to tonight? And who does he expect to buy furniture from?"

"Well, here's the thing. There's a whole part to Sunnydale that we didn't—don't— know anything about. There are a lot more demons and vampires here than we knew. But most of them – the demons, anyway – are not interested in harming humans. They just want to make a living and raise their families just like everybody else. Chances are, the guys who deliver pizzas to us at night are half-demon. Or whole demons if they can look human. Think about it. How long would a human last in Sunnydale trying to hold down a night job? Or one that meant they had to work in the sewers? Even at the mall, a lot of the stores that stay open late are owned or staffed by demons or vamps."

"Dear lord…."

"Yeah. So, anyway, Spike's money guy is a demon and he's available all night. His bank is in the demon part of town. And I guess there are places to buy furniture there too. It's like this whole world of businesses that cater to vamps and demons that we never knew about. There's even a little teashop run by some English vamp that doesn't eat people. Angie or Agnes or something. She's afraid of me, but she always liked Spike. He made her leave town when things got really bad with the First."

"Dear lord," he repeated. He stood up and went to his desk. "I should be taking notes about all this," he said. "Here it's been, right under my nose, all this time…"

"Well, we found out some of it by the end of this year, and once Spike was helping me, I learned more. Of course, it turned out Riley knew about the bite houses before I did." She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice and Giles frowned.

"There are bite houses in Sunnydale? I'd always suspected there might be, but—"

"So you know about them? Bite houses? Didn't this seem like something I should know?"

"You were quite young and innocent. And I had no idea where or even if Sunnydale had one. It just didn't seem to be important."

"Yeah, well, when the man I was dating decided he needed something he couldn't get from me…. Spike took it upon himself to show me where they were. I hated him for it at the time, but he was right. I needed to know. And I probably wouldn't have believed him if he'd tried to tell me about it."

"Dear lord…."

"You said that already."

"And I will undoubtedly say it again. I can't decide it I want to know everything about your future, or nothing about it because it all sound as if it gets steadily worse."

"That's not a bad description," Buffy said with a wry twist to her mouth. "It definitely had its moments." She stood up. "And on that note, I think I'll go to bed so I can do some online shopping tomorrow. You can get online here, can't you?"

"So Willow tells me," he said. "I rarely have occasion to do so when she isn't here."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow, Giles. And thanks…."

"Of course! My guest room is always available to you."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Buffy."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

While Giles devoted the following morning to phone calls with the Council, exchanging information about the commandos and their organization in Sunnydale, Buffy used his computer to do some online furniture shopping. She'd given Giles as much information about what had gone on in the labs as she could remember, leaving it to him to share whatever he felt he could without having to explain his sources.

She found some relatively inexpensive bedroom and living room furniture as well as a nice rug and ordered them using Giles's credit card. After providing the information about where to deliver them, she checked the Sunnydale page to see what, if anything, it said about the explosion at the college. All she saw was a cryptic headline indicating there had been some slight damage done to the school's "science labs" but nothing about the Initiative or Lowell House. She closed it up with a sigh.

"I suppose the story about all those escaping demons is going to be 'gangs on PCP'," she muttered as Giles hung up the phone.

"I presume it will. However, we know better, don't we?"

"We do. But unless the Council can come up with a way to shut the Initiative down—"

"I believe that to be in the works even as we speak," Giles said. "I suspect there will be visitors from the US Army here shortly, and a subsequent loss of a certain fraternity at the university."

"Well…. good." She gave Giles a small grin. "Does that mean Spike and I can take the rest of the year off? After we take care of the Gentlemen and the demons that want to open the hellmouth. Speaking of which, did you look them up yet? The Gentlemen, I mean."

"Rather nasty pieces of work, but I presume you know how to prevent them from almost succeeding?"

"I think so. I know where they were storing the hearts in my time, so if I just wait there for everyone to lose their voices, I can smash the box and start screaming before they have a chance to kill anybody."

"Where was William the Bloody during this time?"

Buffy frowned. "I don't really know… Oh, yeah. He was staying at Xander's because you wanted privacy for you and whats-her-name—"

"Olivia."

"Olivia. Right. Anyway, he was staying at Xander's already. I guess he just stayed there. I remember he went with us to fight the hellmouth-opening-wannabes—"

"Vahrall demons," Giles put in. "I believe that is what you were dealing with."

"Yeah, them. But Spike was wearing Xander's clothes, so Riley and his men didn't recognize him as their escaped chippee. That's when he found out he could hurt demons. He was so excited!" She caught Giles looking at her with wide eyes. "Um… I guess you had to be there… But that's when he started helping us… a little bit."

"A little bit?"

"Well…" Buffy squirmed and made a face. "Mostly he just wanted to fight and kill things, and since he couldn't hurt humans, he settled for demons and vamps. And hanging out with me was his best shot at finding them."

"Is this when he began to develop… affection… for you?"

Buffy snorted. "He likes to say so, but he just means he wanted to—you know what? I have no idea. You should probably ask him that question. I was all about my new boyfriend and his cool job. I really wasn't paying much attention to Spike, to be honest. He couldn't hurt anybody, and sometimes he was helpful – if we paid him – and he and Riley already couldn't stand each other, so…."

"I don't understand why he didn't leave here and go somewhere where he might have had that chip removed."

"Neither do I, but he didn't. He stayed here and hung around enough that we all got used to him. He just became somebody we knew … who happened to live in a crypt."

Giles shook his head and sat down at his desk. Taking out a pen and pulling a notebook closer, he said, "In addition to the Gentlemen, the Vahrall demons, and Ethan, what else you can think of that I should probably know about for the rest of this year?"

Buffy frowned. "Honestly? I think that might be about it. I mean, once Riley figured out that Maggie really did try to kill me, and then Adam killed her…. it was all pretty much Adam from then on. I think Spike tried to get Adam to take his chip out, but he didn't do it. Adam was creating more cyborgs made up from demons, humans and mechanical parts. He was going to make Riley one, and me, but we got away." Buffy shook herself. "Anyway, if Adam blowing up is what set off all those alarms, it shouldn't be a problem now. That's what I meant about Spike and I taking the rest of the year off. We can rest up for Glory.'

"I believe you may be overlooking another potential problem." He stared at her until she got his meaning.

"Oh no. No. I think Willow's going to be… I mean, she was pretty cheerful last night and she told me she was glad I made her fix the spell—"

"The spell is still in place," he reminded her. "She was not willing to give it up."

"Well… yeah. But she made it so she can't accidentally make all men poopheads or anything like that."

"That sounds suspiciously like something that could have happened…."

Buffy cleared her throat and gave him a weak smile. "Well, yeah. It could have. But it didn't because she made it so she can only use the spell to save the world or one of us—"

"No, she did not. She was quite clear that it had to be something i _mportant._ Important, I would presume, to _her_. There's no way to know what that may be should she become angry with one of us again."

"Boy, you and Spike sure know how to spoil a good solution," Buffy grumbled. "Let's see how it goes for awhile. It would really be nice to have that power available when we need it next year. But if it looks like it might be too dangerous…."

"There will be little we can do about it," Giles said. "Short of bringing in magical reinforcements from the Council. And if we take the power from her by force…."

"She'll never trust any of us again. I know. We can't do much about it, but Tara might be able to. She was a really good influence on Willow for a long time."

"Not good enough to prevent her from pulling you back to life."

"No. She couldn't talk her out of that—but I think she tried. Willow told them I was in hell. She really did think she was doing something good. She just had to do some bad stuff to do it…." Buffy shook herself. "And it won't matter this time, because I'm not going to die and if I do, Spike won't let her resurrect me. So no dark magic, no… other stuff that was bad."

Buffy got up and wandered around the apartment. "I was really only kidding about Spike and me taking the year off – but we need to figure out how to stop some of those other things I guess. Ethan Rayne, for instance." She pointed her finger at Giles. "You don't go out for drinks with him. Don't eat or drink anything he's been near." She stopped and grinned. "Unless you want to be a Fyral demon for a night. And run around Sunnydale with Spike scaring people. I promise not to stab you this time."

"Very funny. And no." He shook his head. "I can try to avoid eating or drinking anything Ethan may have been able to put a spell on, but there's no guarantee he won't find another way to create havoc."

"No, but we know where to find him this time, so —crap. That's not going to work."

Giles stared at her inquiringly.

"In our time, I was dating Riley and we just turned Ethan over to the Initiative. We won't be able to do that this time."

"Then I will just have to convince him it is in his own best interest to leave Sunnydale and not return…." Giles suddenly looked much more like the Ripper than he had in a long time.

"Ooookaaayyyy. Then I'll just point you to where he is and let you handle it."

"Does this happen soon?"

"Um…. I don't think so? It's hard to remember when things happened, or even that they did if they weren't world-ending. I guess I should tell you about Faith, just in case…."

"Faith?"

"Yeah, she comes out of the coma at some point and she has this crystal that the Mayor left for her that lets her change bodies with me. It was a whole big body swapping thing. The police arrested me when I was in her body, but then the Council's slayer-catching guys took over and I had to get away from them and convince you guys that I was me…. But I know to watch out for it this time. I won't touch the crystal, and I'll have Spike with me for when I have to fight her…. And maybe I can warn Mom…."

She flopped into the easy chair and glared at Giles. "This is going to be trickier than I thought, isn't it? When Faith went to jail, she kind of did it on her own because something made her feel bad or something – I dunno. We haven't talked about it a lot, but something about being me for a while gave her a different outlook on things. Eventually…. Maybe that won't happen if she doesn't have that experience…."

"And we still have no idea what all this changing of potential dangers is going to do to your timeline. I really do suspect that it won't change who you and Spike are… but I cannot guarantee that for you. Your journey to this place in your life has been a result of every experience you've had – of everything that has happened to you. And to Spike."

Buffy slumped back in her chair and closed her eyes. "So, what are you saying? I should just cancel the furniture because any second I'm going to disappear and be Spike-hating me again?"

Giles shook his head, staring at her with sympathy. "I truly have no idea. And I am continuing to research things, but this is not 'normal' time travel – if such a thing can even be said to exist. You are not visiting an earlier time in which you and Spike are having all the experiences that led you to where you were when you agreed to return. You have replaced yourselves. You have changed things simply by existing in this time. You are not merely observers of events, you are a part of them. Even if you could make yourselves adhere exactly to what you can remember of events from your timeline, your very presence has already changed something very basic about it."

"Awesome," Buffy groaned then brightened. "Then it might not matter what we do. We're already screwed, so we might as well fix as many things as we can while we can."

"And that may be what the Powers have in mind by sending you back so soon rather than waiting until you're actually needed to prevent the major event that permitted the First Evil to rise. As we've already seen, you appear to be able to change some things, but you may or may not be able to prevent them entirely. Willow's spell did not occur exactly when or how it did in your time, but she did do it. It is now up to us to hope we can guide her in a safer path than perhaps she followed in your time."

Buffy frowned. "Well, it was bringing me back that sent her looking into dark magic – at least that's what she told me when we talked about it a little bit last year. And then she kind of got into it more when she de-ratted Amy—"

"Excuse me?"

"Um… probably not something she shared with you? She accidentally made a girl we went to high school with – you remember the witch that tried to kill me? Well, Amy was her daughter and, totally by accident I think, Willow turned her into a rat, and she hasn't been able to figure out how to change her back… although she might be able to now if she uses her safe word…." At seeing Giles's frown, Buffy added, "But she probably shouldn't do that, should she? Cause it's not world-ending or anything, and Amy was a really bad influence on her when she finally got de-ratted, and I'm just not going to mention it to Willow…."

Giles sighed heavily. "Can you see why having this much power might be a bad thing for an inexperienced witch like Willow? "

"I get it, Giles. I really do. Trust me, nobody wants Willow to not be able to use those magics any more than I do. But she went to the dark magic before Amy started influencing her. It was her own idea. And nobody really knew what she had to do to be able to work that spell to bring me back. All we know is that it was bad stuff and it changed her."

"I have some idea," Giles muttered.

"Really? From your Ripper days?" Buffy sat up alertly.

"I'd rather not discuss it. I'd also rather Willow never learned the possible consequences of that kind of dabbling…"

"Well, given how bad she kicked my ass, and yours, I might add… I'd rather she didn't learn it either."

Giles frowned at her. "Has this anything to do with Spike's comment about her ending the world? And if neither one of us could stop her, what did?"

"Xander." Buffy waited for his reaction. When she got the appropriate disbelieving stare she nodded. "Believe it or not. He talked her down somehow."

"Dear Lord…."

"Ya know what? You really ought to come up another catch phrase. Like… I dunno. Something else British but that I haven't heard a gazillion times already?"

"I don't suppose Spike would be willing to share 'bloody hell'…." he mused, half-seriously.

"Nope. He's got dibs on that one. You'll have to come up with something else."

"I'll see what I can do. God forbid you become bored with my response to your increasingly shocking revelations."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. "Or, we could just keep it all to ourselves and let you run around Sunnydale snorting and babbling in demon language."

"Quite. I apologize for my sarcasm." He reached for his notepad. "Shall we try to see what needs adding to this list? We have, in addition to the Gentlemen and the Vahrall demons, Ethan, and Faith emerging from her coma. Do we have any idea when that occurs?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not really. I mean, it's after that other stuff, and after I'd been dating Riley for a while, I guess, but I can't even remember when that happened. I mean, right now, we're just flirting with the idea of dating. At least I am—was—but he might be more….Gah!"

"Given his attempt to capture you, I would suggest that he may no longer be interested in a romantic relationship."

"Probably not, but you never know. Depends on what he learned about slayers and how much of it he believes. If he sounds reasonable, I might bring him to meet you. If he doesn't…."

"If he doesn't, I believe you may have to view him as one of the unexpected hazards of this time in your life here."

"I suppose so. Turns out he and Spike already don't like each other… which, in Spike's case is based on history, but Riley had no reason not to take Spike at face value. Of course, now that he's seen how strong Spike really is… and watched him fight…. This is starting to suck. Adam or no Adam."

"Which, I might add, we are not really sure about yet. All we know is that something happened in their labs that set off the alarms."

"You don't think Willow's spell worked?"

"I suspect it did. But I would be much happier to learn the true situation just in case."

"Well, let's hope Riley comes around then," Buffy said. "Cause right now, he's our best shot at—"

Giles went to his ringing phone and picked it up. "Yes? Rupert Giles here. Oh, Joyce. How are you? How was your trip? Yes, yes she is fine. In fact she is right here. One moment, please." He put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Your mother heard about the explosion and was worried about you. Have you not spoken to her recently?"

Buffy shook her head, ignoring his disapproving frown, and took the receiver from him.

"Hi, Mom. No, I'm fine. Willow and I were just getting ready to have lunch when the alarms went off, so we…. Yes, I guess I should have. I'm just not used to thinking about—Right. I was planning to come over this afternoon to get something from my room. I'll just wait for you to get home, Okay?"

She handed the phone back with a sigh.

"I'm going to go see Mom. I think I'm going to have to tell her about us. I don't want her freaking out if Spike shows up to protect her from something like the Gentlemen's minions. And it'll be a lot easier on her if she understands that I'm not her college freshman daughter anymore, but a grown woman who's had to take on a lot of—" She stopped and shuddered. "I hope I can handle this without having to tell her she's going to die next year."

"I strongly suggest you do _not_ make that part of your conversation. Not now, anyway. Perhaps never. If you can prevent it from happening, she never needs to know; and if you cannot prevent it, I don't think she would be well-served by knowing it's coming, do you? If I understood you correctly, it was quite sudden?"

"Yes. It was. No pain, no worry, just poof – gone." Buffy sighed. "Okay, I'm off to talk to her. I'll check in tonight. Maybe Riley will be willing to talk to me by then."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Buffy's trip to her mother's included a side trip to Restfield to tell Spike she wanted him to be there when she told Joyce about them. She saw that the outer door was ajar, and pulled it back a little more, wincing at the screech of rusty metal. By the time she'd pulled it open, the wooden door was opening in front of her.

"Spike?"

"You were expecting a ghost maybe? Or did you think the door opened itself?"

"You're cranky today. Did I wake you up?"

"You did," he said, closing the door behind her as she came in. "What are you doing here? I thought we were keeping a low profile for a while."

Buffy didn't answer him immediately, taking in his bare chest and barely-hanging- on-unfastened jeans. She unconsciously licked her lips.

"Unless you're here for following up on that look, love, I suggest you take those eyes somewhere else." He adjusted himself in his jeans and pulled up the zipper a little higher.

"Uh… sorry? It's just… it's been a long time since I saw you… like that." She licked her lips again as she ran her eyes down his body.

"Don't apologize," he said, pulling her against him. "Just tell me we're both going to be like this in a few minutes. Naked would be even better…"

"I… that wasn't… but now that you mention it… Did you get a bed?"

"Getting fussy in your old age? We never worried about making it to the bed before," he said, laughing when she blushed. "But yes, I did. It's downstairs. Even got sheets for it, but haven't put them on yet." He tugged her toward the entrance to the lower level. "Let me go first so I can catch you. I don't have a ladder or steps yet."

He released her hand and disappeared down the opening in the floor. Buffy peered over the edge, saying, "I can make that jump."

"Know you can, pet. But if I catch you it gives me another excuse to hold that luscious body."

Buffy shook her head and jumped after him, flexing her legs as she landed easily.

"News flash, Spike. You don't need an excuse when it's just the two of us."

"Might take me some time to get used to that," he murmured as he gathered her in again. He ran his lips up her neck, smiling when she tilted her head to give him better access.

"I think we've got some time," she gasped, running her hands over his bare back and relearning the feel of his skin and the muscles under it. "I'm pretty sure we do."

Without responded except to pick her up and carry her to the unmade mattress, he turned and let himself fall backwards, never taking his lips from her neck until they were still. While Buffy squirmed around so as to be lying against him rather than across, he moved his mouth up to capture hers. For long minutes they indulged in the kisses they'd had to deny themselves for so long, but it was soon not enough to be lying there with denim between them.

Buffy sat up and stared down at him. "I meant it, you know," she said without explanation.

Spike reached up and stroked her face. "Know you did, love. I believed you. I promise." His eyes took on a gleam as he began to unbutton her blouse. "But if you really want me to believe, you'll get out of these clothes so I can show you how much _i_ love _you._ "

Buffy giggled and shrugged out of her shirt, tossing it to the floor. While Spike quickly unfastened and removed her bra, she ran her hand down his torso, stroking him with her fingers until she got to the unbuttoned waistband of his jeans. When he sucked in his stomach with a hiss, she dipped her fingers under the zipper, playing with the soft hair there. His growl sent vibrations through her body, beginning with the part that was pressed against him as she sat on his thighs.

"Ooooh. That's just…." She closed her eyes and let the sensations being created by his growl draw her attention to the body part still covered with too much cloth. As one, they separated to divest themselves of their remaining clothing. Spike slid out of his barely-fastened jeans in only a second, beginning to breath heavily as he watched Buffy pull off her shoes, jeans and underwear.

"C'mere, you," he growled, pulling her back where she'd been before, this time with nothing between them. She wriggled on him for a second, gasping when his rigid cock slid over her clit.

"In me. Now." Without waiting for a reply, she raised her hips so he could guide his cock where she wanted it. She sank down on him with a happy sigh, smiling when he groaned his appreciation. They stared at each other, Spike's face slipping into the soft expression he only wore when looking at her. Buffy was momentarily surprised that she could remember the last time he looked at her like that. She smiled softly at him as she lowered her head to press their foreheads together.

Without words, they began moving slowly, savoring every slide in and out, every whimper and gasp, as they took advantage of the time they had to finally make love without worry about interruption. They moved together in perfect synchronicity, building slowly but surely to a place that required more force and speed. Spike rolled them over and began thrusting harder while Buffy wrapped her arms and legs around him and met each thrust with her own clenched body.

"Come for me, love," he whispered when the familiar sounds told him she was getting close. "Show me you love me."

When she was shuddering under him and crying his name, he let himself find his own release, his demon emerging as he sucked on the side of Buffy's neck and pumped into her.

For long minutes they remained together, reluctant to let go, but knowing it would be only moments before they could do it again. Buffy grinned when she felt him swelling with her.

"I guess some things don't change, do they?" She wriggled happily, laughing when he nipped at her neck.

"If this ever changes, it'll be because I'm dust," he growled, still in game face. She stroked his wrinkled forehead until he'd faded back to his usual mien.

"That was a little new," she said. "I never noticed you doing that before."

"That's because back then, I was doing everything I could to keep you from thinking of me as a monster. Came close to going all fangy a couple of times when we were…." He paused, as if not sure what to say.

"When I was hurting you," she finished quietly. "My demon was trying to bring yours out."

"Maybe," he admitted. "But seeing as how you didn't even know you had a demon yet, letting you see what you were doing to me just didn't seem like it was in my best interest."

"Probably wasn't," she admitted with a wry smile. "So, should I be insulted or flattered that you aren't worried about it now?"

She felt him shrug his shoulders as he lowered his mouth to her neck again. "Take your pick. Either way all it means is that my demon loves you just as much as I do, and I don't want to hide it." He raised his head suddenly. "Unless it really bothers you," he said quickly. "I won't do it if you don't want me to."

Buffy shook her head and pulled his face back down to her neck. "I want you to do what makes you happy," she said, nibbling on his earlobe. "We got a chance to make a new beginning, I don't want to start it with you having to hide who you are."

"Thought you saw that part of me as more of a 'what' than a 'who'," he said.

"Are you trying to start a fight?"

"No! I'm just—"

"You're just thinking too much." She wriggled her hips against him again. "Don't you have better things to do?"

 **XXXXXXX**

Hours later, as they were ready to leave for Joyce's house, Spike nuzzled her hair before letting her go.

"I'll miss you," he said with a perfectly straight face.

"We're going to be in the same room, you doofus."

"Yeah, well, I'm not touchin' you until I'm sure your mum isn't going for the axe."

"Good point. But we're going to tell her, so maybe she'll be okay with it." She sighed and said, "If we wait a little bit longer, it'll be dark enough for us to walk there together."

"Speaking of that… let me just take a listen outside before you go running off. Since this is where they grabbed you before, they might be keeping an eye on Restfield."

"I'm kinda hoping they're too busy explaining about the escaped demons and the explosion to worry about us. But go ahead. Put those bat ears to use." She laughed at his offended growl and followed him to the door. Opening it just enough to make sure the metal door hadn't been moved, Spike put his coat over his head and slipped out to become just another shadow against the stone. Dusk had fallen, and nothing was easy to see in the waning light. He waited, head cocked, then slid back inside and closed the interior door.

"Need to get some oil for that outer door," he said. "It makes too much noise."

"What did you hear?"

"Enough to know we wouldn't be alone out there. Couldn't tell for sure what was stirring around, but the likely things other than vamps or demons would be the soldiers."

"Wonderful. How are we going to get to Mom's? She's probably wondering why I'm not there yet."

"We'll have to take the tunnels and sewers. It'll be OK," he added when she made a face. "There's good footing between here and your mum's. We just have to make sure we don't pop up in the middle of a crowd."

"Fine. Let's go."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

When Buffy and Spike appeared at the kitchen door, Joyce blinked her surprise, but opened the door for them. Spike hesitated on the threshold, until Buffy pulled him inside, saying, "Your invitation was never revoked—"

"Next year it was."

"This isn't next year. Just come in and sit down."

"Buffy? Isn't this Spike? It's so confusing keeping up with his status. Evil vampire, working together, back to an evil vampire, and now…"

"I'm gonna explain it, Mom. I promise. And this Spike, the one you're seeing now, isn't evil any more. He's got a soul."

"So did that other creature."

"Not him, Joyce. Not like him. Never was and never will be."

Joyce sent Spike a frown, then looked at Buffy for an explanation.

"Better sit down, Mom. This is going to be…. hard to believe."

"Harder to believe than vampires are real and my teenage daughter is supposed to 'slay' them?" Joyce gave her a disbelieving grin, which faded as Buffy and Spike exchanged glances. "Oh, come on. How bad can it be? Spike has a soul – is that it? You know I don't get all this soul/no soul stuff—" She broke off when they didn't smile, but sighed instead. "Okay," she said with a resigned sigh of her own. "I'm sitting. Let me have it." Suiting actions to words, she sank onto one of the kitchen stools.

Buffy took a deep breath and launched into a short explanation for their being who and what they were. She left out the specific events that were the reason for their being sent back in time, hoping to avoid discussions about anyone's death for as long as she could.

"So, the Council – what was left of it – decided if they could magic me back to before the… thing… happened, I could fix it before it happens and the First Evil won't rise and… and… it will save a lot of lives. Including Spike's," she added, sending him a look that it was impossible to misinterpret. Joyce picked up on it immediately.

"If Spike died, how is he here. Now?"

"Um… well… that's the other part of it. Seems like Angel—" Buffy paused when her mother made a face and Spike growled.

"You know, you two really need to get over these automatic reactions to hearing Angel's name. Seriously? If I can say his name without having a meltdown, you can hear it without making faces and growling." She put her hands on her hips and glared from one to the other until they nodded after exchanging their own looks of solidarity.

"Are we done now? Okay, it seems like Angel and his people in LA came to the same conclusion the Council did and they decided to send Spike—"

"Who was dead?" Joyce frowned as she reached over and poked Spike's arm. "Okay, not a ghost."

He snickered and mumbled, "Not anymore."

"He i _was/i_ a ghost when he first came back from helping me save the world from the First. But then he turned solid, and before he could call me and tell me he was alive, Angel and Wesley sent him back in time for the same reason the Council sent me. We don't know why or how we both ended up here – this year – when the… thing… isn't going to happen till next year. But here we are."

"So…." Joyce frowned and shook her head. "You're right. I'm having a really hard time with this one." She gave Buffy a shrewd look. "I'm guessing Spike and his soul were already a part of your life when he…. died?"

"Yes, Mom. We… we're…."

"We love each other," Spike said softly. "Wasn't an easy path here, and we had some bumps along the way—" He glared at Buffy when she snorted. "But by the time I thought I was giving my life to save Buffy and the world she lives in, we were pretty much each other's…." He trailed off, not sure what to call what they'd been by the end of that year.

"We were each other's most important and most trusted person," Buffy said. "It wasn't the time for big romantic things, but that's what we were. And until a few days ago, I thought he was gone forever. I was still mourning for him. Then he turned up here just like I did."

"And you found each other?"

"Well, that part was easy because in our time, Spike was captured by the Initiative and brain-chipped so he couldn't kill or hunt. He escaped, and then he came to us for help when he was starving. So, I was busy pretending to be the me I was four years ago, and he was busy pretending to be the Spike that couldn't feed himself, and there we were in Giles' apartment, yelling at each other about something and—"

"And we could see who we really were. Knew it wasn't the eighteen-year-old Slayer glaring at me like that—"

"And I could see the soul in his eyes. We just knew who we were. Right away."

"So am I the last one to learn about this?"

"No, Mom, of course not! We only told Giles – cause he couldn't understand why we weren't trying to kill each other. And then I had to tell Willow because… Well, she needed to know so she would listen to me about not doing a certain spell."

She kicked Spike when he muttered, "For all the good that did."

"But you weren't even back from your trip yet when all that was happening, and we've been too busy trying to figure things out – what we can change, what we should change, what we can't change… It's a whole 'the wrong changes could make us disappear before we fix things' thing. So, anyway, I'm sorry I didn't call you right away yesterday to tell you I was all right. I did know you were coming home Friday night, but I was trying to keep you out of this to be honest."

"You weren't planning to tell me?" Anger and pain were more than obvious in Joyce's voice, causing Buffy to wince and close her eyes briefly.

"I wasn't really thinking that far ahead yet, Mom. Having unchipped future Spike here changed a whole lot of what I thought I knew about this year's events and what to do about them. I guess I just thought if I didn't see you very often, you'd think I was just having such a good time being in college that… I dunno. You've got all those 'Mom' ways of knowing things. How long do you think it would have taken you to figure out I'm not the me you think I am if you were seeing me a lot?"

Joyce studied Buffy for a few seconds, glanced at Spike, back to Buffy and said, "About five minutes. For both of you," she added. When Buffy frowned and shook her head, Joyce asked, "Wouldn't it? How long has it been since you weren't my you?"

Buffy smiled and walked over to give her mother a tight hug. "I'll always be your me, Mom. I'm just an older version of me. Who's had a few kind of big… events… in her life. But, to answer the first question, I've been back for a few weeks now. And in case you need a reason for telling you now…. sometime soonish, Faith is going to come out of her coma and escape from the hospital. She's going to come here. I'm going to try to stop her, but you need to know that if I don't, she and I might switch bodies for a while and she's going to pretend to be me."

"And you think I'd fall for that?"

"Would you even think something like that could happen? If you saw me fighting with Faith, and then the cops showed up to take her back to jail, why would it cross your mind that we'd switched bodies? Wouldn't you just be so relieved I was all right that the thought I might not be me wouldn't even be on your radar?"

Joyce went pale. "You're telling me that actually happened?"

"It did. But I managed to get away from… well, never mind that. The point is, it all worked out, and Faith went off to LA or something. And this time, I'm hoping to avoid touching that crystal she used. And since you and Giles and Willow… and Spike… all know about it, I don't think anybody will be fooled for very long if it does. So we should be able to switch us back pretty easily."

She reached over and smacked Spike on the head.

"Hey!"

"Buffy!" Joyce sounded shocked.

She ignored her mother's frown and glared at Spike. "I saw your eyes glaze over. I know what you were thinking…."

Joyce stared at them in bewilderment as he laughed and pulled Buffy closer. "Only for a second, love. I swear. I was just remembering what she said to me when she was you…."

"I'm pretty sure I don't want to know," Buffy muttered, allowing him to soothe her in spite of her frown.

"You don't. Trust me."

"Pig!"

"Oink."

As Joyce realized what they were probably talking about, she sent Spike a frown of her own, making him find something very interesting to stare at near his boots.

Buffy pushed herself away from him and leaned on the counter. "So, that's why I'm here, actually. Well, two reasons I guess. One is to make sure you know about the body swap, just in case it happens. If you aren't sure, just ask me a question that only I would know the answer to. If you don't like the answer, be super careful until you can get hold of Giles… or Spike, I guess." She looked at him. "Did you get a phone last night?"

"Did." He patted his pocket. "Got one for you too."

"Write the numbers down for Mom, please."

"You said two things," Joyce reminded her, pushing pencil and paper toward Spike. "What is the other?"

"Oh, well, you know that guy I told you I was sort of dating? Shut up, Spike. He belongs to this secret army group that was experimenting on demons and vampires in labs underneath the campus. And in our time, one of those weapons they were creating – a cyborg of some sort – got loose and started killing everybody to make cyborg soldiers. But this time, we think we took care of it before he could wake up, so maybe we don't have to worry about him. I won't be sure until we can find out exactly what happened there yesterday, but we hope so. The thing is, this time around, I won't be dating Riley, so he won't have a chance to learn about me except whatever he can find on line about slayers. And he saw Spike and me fighting the escaping demons and he thinks I'm some kind of demon or something, so we're kind of hiding from them until the Council or somebody gets it handled."

"So you need to stay here?"

"Oh no! I don't want you dragged into this. And they'd be able to find us here too easy because they have access to my school records. No, we're just going to hide out at Spike's crypt or an apartment he rented until Giles tells me it's safe to be out and about."

"But you're here now."

"We were careful coming over. We stayed underground. I really think Riley and his buddies are too busy explaining themselves to… whoever… right now to worry about me—us, but just in case…"

"So, you won't be staying for dinner then?"

Buffy and Spike exchanged looks. "I really don't think we should, Mom. If they show up here looking for us, I want you to be telling the truth when you say we aren't here and you don't know where we went. I'm just going to run upstairs and grab some clothes and… something else I need. And then we'll be out of sight for a couple of days. But you'll have the phone numbers, so if you need us for anything…."

When there was no reply, Buffy left the kitchen and ran upstairs. She went into her closet and felt around in the toe of her favorite boots until she found the ring with the Gem of Amara. She stuck it on her thumb and wrinkled her nose at its ugliness.

"I guess if it can keep Spike undusty, I can get used to it," she muttered as she stood up. It took her only a few minutes to pull together some clean underwear and a change of clothes. She looked longingly at the bathtub as she went by, but decided being untased and uncaptured was more important than being clean.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

"Okay, let's go—" She froze looking from Spike to her mother. "What's wrong?"

"Spike thinks he heard something outside, and I thought I saw movement at the window."

"Wonderful.' Buffy sighed and put down her small dufflebag. "Here. Take this." She pulled the ring off her thumb and handed it to Spike, who quickly slipped it on with a quiet "thank you, love."

"How are we going to play this? Doesn't look like he's planning to knock on the door, so—" She was interrupted by the doorbell. "Or not. I'll get it, Mom. You stay here with Spike." Buffy marched to the door and threw it open to find Riley standing there, hand's up in the universal sign for peace.

"What are you doing here, Riley? This is my mom's house."

"I know. I just haven't been able to find you anywhere, and Willow said she didn't know where you were, so I thought I'd check here. I'm not here to cause trouble, and I'm by myself—"

Buffy stared at him skeptically, but behind her she heard Spike say, "Think he's telling the truth, Slayer. I can't hear anyone else outside and your mum hasn't seen anyone."

"Oh," Riley said as Spike entered the foyer. "You're here too. That's… good… I guess."

"We're both here, Riley, but we were just leaving. What do you want?"

He gave Spike another uncomfortable look, then sighed when Joyce came in behind him. "I really wanted to talk to you… alone."

"Not happenin'," Spike said. Behind him Joyce nodded firmly before speaking up.

"Buffy, why don't you introduce me to your…friend? And invite him in."

"Riley, this is my mom. Mom, this is Riley, the guy I told you about." She stepped back to allow Riley to enter the house, although he didn't come in very far and the door remained ajar.

"The one you think you need to hide from?" Joyce gave Riley her best 'get away from my daughter' glare, causing Spike to chuckle.

Riley held up his hands again. "I hope not. I looked up "Slayer" online, but there isn't much information available. There's a "Vampire Slayer" mentioned as being a mythical creature that hunts vampires, but—"

"Do I look mythical to you?" Buffy said indignantly.

"Trust me. There's nothing mythical about her right cross," Spike offered, rubbing his jaw.

"But… you can't be real. A girl. Who fights vampires?"

"And demons. And cyborgs that want to rule the world." She grinned when Riley's eyes went wide. "And who stops world-ending apocalypses every spring… It's really more of a multi-tasking position," she said cheerfully, even as she shot Spike a "shut up" glare.

"Cy— How do you know so much about…. things you shouldn't know anything about?"

"I can't tell you that, Riley," Buffy said as kindly as she could. "Just accept that I do. More than you do about some of it, probably."

"And now we're back to me thinking I need to take you in—"

"That's not going to happen, Riley. As much as I'd like to know for sure that Adam—you do know she calls him Adam, by now, don't you?" She didn't bother to grin this time, just nodded when Riley winced. "Anyway, as much as I'd like to know what happened to him, I'm pretty sure you aren't going to tell me now, so I'll just have to wait until I find out through other… channels."

Riley narrowed his eyes at her. "What 'other channels'?"

"I can't tell you that either… except… I guess I can tell you that your secret army unit isn't so secret anymore, thanks to my…." She glanced at Spike. "I don't know what to call the Council."

"Wankers always worked for me."

"Not helpful, Spike." She turned back to Riley. "I guess 'former employers' is as close as I can come. The group of people who… watch… over slayers is very powerful. And they know things. And people. So your army knows about what's been going on here now, and there are people on the way here to take over. Or so I'm told, anyway," she added.

Riley looked like he was really regretting having arrived unarmed. When he glanced toward the door, as if considering trying to get to his vehicle, Spike slid up behind him, with a speed that made Riley's eyes widen. He looked at Spike much harder than he had in the dim light of the Bronze.

"You… you're…." He continued to stare, weighing Spike's pallor and speed against his otherwise completely human appearance. His limited experience with the vampires they'd captured gave him no frame of reference for one that didn't spend all its time in game face.

Spike glanced at Buffy, but when she shook her head slightly, he leaned against the door and did his best to appear harmless. "I'm just making sure you don't change your mind about shooting one of us," he said.

Riley looked back at Buffy and her very normal - seeming mother. "I don't want to shoot you. I just want to know what's going on. And now I want to know what you had to do with it."

"Trust me, we've got nothing to do with your little vampire and demon catching and torturing operation," Spike said, losing his harmless stance. "And if anything any of us did was able to put a stop to—"

"Spike!"

He rolled his eyes, but stopped talking.

"What does he mean?" Riley looked to Buffy for an answer.

"He means, that if those alarms that went off mean what we hope they did, you can be grateful that your men aren't going to become cyborgs slaves to a monster. A monster that your boss was creating in that room she never let any of you go in." Buffy took a deep breath and exhaled before continuing. "I want you to go back to… wherever… and just chill for couple of days. Until your new bosses get here."

"And what will you be doing?"

"Probably hiding from you, if you still think I'm some kind of demon or something you should put in a cage."

"I don't understand."

"I know. And if I didn't think you were still trying to take me down to what's left of your demon jail, I'd sit down and explain to you about slayers. But I already know you don't want to believe there's anything but a scientific explanation for everything in Sunnydale, so you probably wouldn't believe most of what I told you anyway. If you want to tell me what happened down in the labs—" She smiled when Riley flinched. "If you want to tell me, that would be awesome. It would be really helpful to know if Adam is still a danger or not, but if you don't, then you should just go back and wait."

Riley looked back and forth between Buffy and Spike, who was still blocking his way out the door. "I'm guessing that there's no way I can fight my way out of here, is there? Not against you two."

Joyce broke into the tense atmosphere by walking up to Riley and staring him in the face.

"My daughter risks her life every night to keep this town and this world safe from the creatures of the night. And has since she was only fifteen. If I thought for one second that you were a danger to her, those two would be the least of your worries. Are we clear?"

Riley stared back at the unarmed and, as far as he knew, perfectly normal woman and swallowed hard.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, shooting a glare a Spike who had audibly snickered.

To his surprise, Spike gave him an apologetic shrug and said, "Best listen to her, mate. She's a dab hand with a fire axe."

"You had that coming," Joyce turning her glare on Spike.

"I did. Never doubted it."

Riley shook his head. "I think you're all crazy, but you seem to know more than I do right now, so I'm going back to campus and we'll see what happens tomorrow. We've been told to stand down for now."

Spike studied him for a full moment before nodding and moving away from the door. Riley held his gaze as he walked past Spike, his indecision clear on his face.

"Not sure, are you?" Spike said with grin.

Riley pointed at Buffy. "Slayers, mythical or not, are always girls. So how do you fit in?"

Buffy's warning glare told Spike to be careful. "Think of me as an assistant slayer. Back up muscle if and when she needs it… which isn't all that often, to be honest. Greedy bint hogs all the good fights."

Riley stared at Buffy. "Good fights? You enjoy fighting subterrestrials?"

"He enjoys it. I'm just doing my job," Buffy said with a sniff.

"Say that often enough, you might come to believe it, Slayer." Spike gave her an unrepentant grin as he walked over closer to Joyce. "Reckon we're stayin' for dinner, Joyce. Need some help in the kitchen?"

When Spike and Joyce were out of sight, Riley relaxed somewhat and shook his head.

"I don't even know what I don't know, do I?"

Buffy gave him a sympathetic smile. "No, not right now, you don't. Maybe you will after whoever's coming to clean up your mess gets here, but I don't know for sure. If they say it's okay, maybe we can meet for coffee and I can give you more information."

He studied her for a few seconds, his gaze becoming steadily more suspicious. "Are you even the Buffy Summers I met when the semester started?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes…. And no. I mean, I am me. Have been since I was born, but… I'm not quite the same me you think you know. And that's really all I can tell you, Riley." She smiled at him. "But hey, points for noticing."

He sighed. "I'd be more impressed by myself if I wasn't sure it's something I should have noticed before now." He looked at her shrewdly. "Shouldn't I?"

Buffy sighed and shook her head. "I can't answer that, Riley. I wish I could, but there would just need to be more explanations…. and yeah. I think learning more about slayers is about as good as it's going to get for you."

"All right, Buffy. You keep your secrets and I'll keep mine." As he turned to leave he said over his shoulder, "At least now I know who or what Maggie was calling for when she died." He waited for her response.

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you. And… I'm sorry about Professor Walsh… but he probably would have killed her soon anyway."

"So you do know what happened down there."

Buffy shook her head. "Not really. Not exactly. I'm guessing his power pack blew up, but I'm just guessing."

"I'm guessing you're right, but I'll know more tomorrow." He stared at her for another minute, then shook his head. "Goodnight, Buffy."

"Night, Riley… and thanks."

XXXXXXX

"All sorted now?" Spike asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Don't pretend you weren't listening. I know you heard every word of that."

He looked slightly abashed, saying, "But your mum didn't. You should tell her."

"I think we'll be okay. But who knows when he gets back there what he's going to hear from all his buddies? Those guys you knocked out are probably still pretty pissed off, and now he knows who did it."

"We should probably stick close to the crypt for a while," he said. Glancing at Joyce, he asked, "Do you have some WD40 I could borrow?"

"There might be some in the garage," she said with a frown. "What do you need it for?"

"Door to the crypt squeaks a bit. Want to keep it quiet so we don't have to worry about being heard going in or out."

"The crypt?"

"Think of it as a big stone building in a cemetery, Mom. You'd never know what it is if you didn't know… what it is. Trust me, in our time you spent some time there hiding out yourself and watching Passions with Spike."

Joyce stared at them with wide eyes, then frowned at Spike. "You like Passions?"

He shrugged. "Got into it back when I didn't have much else to do to amuse myself. Can't say I've kept up lately, but…."

"So you know what's going to happen to Timmy?"

"Huh! I reckon I do at that." He smiled at her. "I might be persuaded to tell for the right amount of hot cocoa with little marshmallows in it."

"You do know most vampires drink blood, right?" Buffy said, then laughed at his offended expression.

"Not 'most' vampires am I?" he fired back.

"No. No you're not." Her voice softened and she stroked his cheek. "You're not even close."

"Well, there you have it," he said, his own frown vanishing as he leaned into her hand.

"Okay, you two. Give me some time to get used to the idea that you're not who I think you are now before you traumatize me by showing me something I'd prefer not to imagine."

"Sorry, Mom," Buffy said as they separated. "I didn't mean to do anything to give you any TMI moments. It's just… we've been apart for a long time, and…."

"And we won't do anything to make you want to hit me with an axe again," Spike said, sitting on a stool some distance from Buffy.

"And that."

"I wish you'd come with an instruction manual when I had you," Joyce sighed as she went about fixing a quick meal. "Something like 'how to react when your slayer daughter presents you with another fact you'd really rather not know.'" She smiled at Buffy to take the sting out of her words. "I love you, you know. And I really am terribly proud of what you do – in spite on not knowing much about it. But I have to admit, it does take me some time to accept things." She gave Buffy a hug, then went back to her food preparation. "This one… yeah. Don't expect me to suddenly start treating you like I think you're a grownup."

"Just treat me like your daughter, and I'm good," Buffy said, turning away to hide the sudden brightness in her eyes. To give her time to pull herself together, Spike began to ask Joyce questions about what she was making. When he dipped his fingers into the ground beef she was making meatballs from, she smacked his hand, making him laugh as he hung on to the raw meat and dropped it into his mouth.

"C'mon, Joyce. I like spaghetti as well as the next vamp, but the raw meat is better."

She made a face at him. "That's disgusting."

"I'm a vampire. I live on blood."

She nodded. "I guess I sort of forgot that – with only serving you hot chocolate before."

"Don't forget it, luv. I never do."

Buffy noticed how uncomfortable Joyce looked and smacked Spike on the back of the head. "You're scaring my mom, Spike. You're supposed to be charming her into thinking you're good enough for her daughter, not reminding her that—"

"Than I'm not? Know that, Buffy. Not good enough. Never will be." He pulled her into a loose hug and kissed her nose. "But I'm sorry. No more scary Spike."

"I'm not afraid of you, Spike," Joyce said. "I'm just having flashbacks to that other vampire and wishing Buffy could find… something else."

"I tried that, Mom," Buffy said, going closer to Joyce. "In our timeline, I dated Riley for over a year. It didn't work out. And he knew all about my calling and tried to be supportive, but… humans just don't get it. Spike tried to tell me I needed more, but it took a long time before I believed him. That I need a little monster in my man." She turned back to Spike. "But you don't need to be reminding my mom what you are."

"It's fine. And I'll get some blood from the butcher tomorrow. I can keep it in the freezer so there's always some here when you come by." She took a deep breath and didn't look at either one as she dropped the meatballs in a pan to brown, saying, "So, are you going to be living together? Or is this just a temporary thing while you're hiding?"

"Wow. I was kinda hoping to avoid that conversation for a while…."

"Just tell me, Buffy. I'll try to remind myself that you aren't really only eighteen and that you've probably been on your own for a while now."

Buffy nodded. "Yes, we rented an apartment, and we have the crypt to use when we need to hide… anything or anybody. We weren't planning to move in right away because I knew you'd go nuts, but since you know how old I really am, and how long Spike and I have been together… we probably will be living together."

Joyce nodded. "What about college?"

"Huh. Good question. I don't know. In our time, getting rid of Adam sort of trashed the second semester – for everybody there, not just me – so this is new. I guess if nothing got too badly destroyed, there will be a spring semester and I'll be able to finish this year. Go me!"

"Only this year?"

Buffy exchanged looks with Spike. "Mom. I really don't want to tell you much about next year yet, because we're hoping to change that too. Let's just say, in my timeline, things were a little too… hectic… for me to concentrate on school." She sighed. "If I can, I will. But I've really got no idea."

"That's fair enough, I guess," Joyce said, dropping the browned meatballs into the sauce she'd had warming up in another pan. "Why don't you set the table while I get the pasta going? Spike, do you think you can make a salad?"

He shrugged. "Probably. How hard can it be?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and handed him the plates she'd gotten out of the cupboard. "Here. You do this. I'll make the salad."

He laughed and nodded. "Good plan, love."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

As they walked back to Restfield, carrying bags of "supplies" that Joyce had insisted they take, Spike ventured, "That didn't go so badly, did it? She didn't try to brain me with anything and she gave you food… and toilet paper."

Buffy snorted. "I didn't have the heart to tell her crypts don't come with bathrooms, but we can use it in the apartment I guess."

"I can rig something up for you," he said. "I'd started on it back in our time, but then you let the big lump blow up my bedroom, and…"

"You were making me a bathroom?"

"Well, already had the shower. And I was putting warm water in for that. Adding a toilet when your bedroom isn't very far from a sewer isn't really all that challenging. Just needed to make it safe and easy for you to get to it. I'll work on it again, but the shower's going to take time…."

"You did a lot for me, didn't you? All those rugs, the bedroom furniture, the drinks in the fridge…. I never let myself see what you were doing to make me comfortable." She moved closer to him and leaned into him briefly. She could hear the smile in his voice when he replied.

"Well, you did tell the slayer wannbes that the old crypt was 'comfy', so you must have noticed some of it."

She laughed. "I did say that, didn't I? Poor girls. They thought I'd gone crazy."

"It was a crazy time… some of us actually _were_ crazy for a little while." He nudged her arm. "Pretty sure you remember that."

"You're all right now, though. Aren't you? Got used to having the soul and—"

"I made my peace with it," he agreed. "First time I had to kill something, I began to realize that having the soul didn't mean I needed to turn back into the useless git I was when I was human. I needed to be able to fight for you when you needed me to, and the best thing I could do for all those poor souls I'd killed was to make myself useful and help you save the world."

"And you did," she said softly. "Did I ever thank you for that?"

"Um no… because your wanker of an ex didn't tell you I was all ghostly, and then we were… here."

"True. I am, though, you know. Thankful. Even if I did think you'd killed yourself doing it."

"I thought I had too, love. Nobody was more surprised than me when my incorporeal self popped out of that ugly jewelry. Ended up standing in the middle of the poof's big fancy desk." He put the arm not holding bags of groceries over her shoulders. "Feel free to show me how grateful you are once we get the food put away…."

"You're incorrigible and insatiable…"

"Says the woman who left me wrung out and empty more than once."

"Who was that? I'll scratch her eyes out!"

His warm chuckle in her ear made her smile. "She was really something, but I don't think she was very happy. Made her mean sometimes." He squeezed her shoulders and straightened up as they reached the crypt. "Loved her anyway, but I think I like you better."

"I think I like me better too," she said softly. "Here, give me those." She took all the bags, leaving him to wield the WD40 oilcan at all the hinges in the outer door. He did some experimental opening and shutting until he decided it was as good as it was going to get. "Might leave a bit of a squeak to it, just in case we get any surprise visitors. I'd like to hear them coming."

"Good idea. I can't believe how careless you were about that before."

"Told you, love. It was more important to me that you — and the Bit when she came along — have access to it than it was to worry about some random vamp or demon that didn't know about me stumbling in. By not too long from now in our time, I'd pretty well staked out my territory here in Restfield. May not have been the Master of Sunnydale anymore, but I was the closest thing to it. Between your reputation for dusting any vamps stupid enough to try to move here, and mine for making them earn the right to stay long enough to fight you, there wasn't much to worry about until Adam started sending out his man/monsters. And they didn't care about me."

"Isn't this where you were when Glory's minions grabbed you?"

"Was. Don't worry. This time we're going to have heavy bars on the doors and windows, and a gate across the entrance to the sewer tunnels. I've got all year to work on making this a fortress."

"Which I hope we won't need." Buffy shook herself and finished putting away the food and drink Joyce had sent with them.

"I hope not, too. But until we've figured out how to get rid of her blowsy self…"

"It's nice to have a safe place to hide."

"Exactly." He pulled her into a loose embrace. "So, what's the plan? Believe the farm boy is going to leave us alone and patrol? Or just hide out here, where we're safe and have food, water, and a bed?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she smiled as she shook her head.

"I don't know. I think I should call Giles and bring him up to speed, and give him our phone numbers so he can get hold of one of us if he needs to."

"Right. The phones. Here's yours." He pulled two flip phones from his pocket and handed one to her. "Already put my number in yours and your number in mine. What else do we need?"

"Well, I know mom's number, and Giles's and Willow's and Xander's, but you need to have those in your phone. And I guess that's it. At least until we move to the apartment and get a phone there. Then we'll have to give everybody that number."

Spike shook his head and laughed quietly to himself.

"What?"

"Just… look at us. Phone numbers, including one that's for both of us. First thing you know, we'll be picking out curtains and hanging funny-looking plants at all the windows. Just like old married folks."

"Something you didn't want to be, if I remember it right," she said, her expression becoming more somber. " 'Trust is for old marrieds' isn't that what you said? Like being married for a long time was a terrible thing."

"Fuck." He stared at her with eyes that held more pain than she'd seen since she'd found him in the school basement. "There's a bloody good way to remind me I don't deserve any of this."

"I didn't mean to…. I'm just asking… Were you saying we're already getting boring?"

"Of course I wasn't! Is that what you thought I was saying? That the idea of living with you, sleeping beside you every night, having you in my life every day…. that I don't think I've died and gone to a Heaven I know I'll never see?"

"Well, it just sounded kinda…. You know, the way you said it… boring." She peered at him from under her eyelashes. "And I did want to get some curtains for that one window…. and a plant to hang there…. and—mmmph!" His lips cut off her exaggerated offended complaint.

When he'd kissed her into silence, he rested his forehead against hers and said, "You couldn't be boring it you tried, Buffy. Our lives couldn't be boring. Never have been, never will be. If we get some moments or days, or hell - even weeks, of down time to shop for curtains and grow ferns in the windows…. nobody would be happier about that than I would."

"Oh. Okay, then."

XXXXX

When Buffy called Giles to give him their phone numbers, she was surprised to find he had already heard from the Council.

"It appears that there will be military personnel of one sort or another showing up no later than tomorrow… and they will be requesting your presence when they enter the facility."

"Me? Why? I don't, theoretically, know much about the place this time."

"They didn't share with me what they know, but it seems your 'theoretically' may be just that. There didn't seem to be much doubt that you would know if they were being lied to about anything. I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but I'm pursuing it with friends in the Council. "

"Are you saying they know who I really am?"

"I'm saying that may be a possibility… at a minimum, they seem to know that you should know what's going on in there." He paused. "They also mentioned Spike. Demanding an explanation for why he seems to suddenly be working with us rather than against us."

"Did you tell them about the chip?"

"I did. But the chip only explains why he can't kill anyone, not why he has been seen fighting at your side."

"Are they _spying_ on me?" Buffy's tone of voice didn't bode well for her interest in following instructions from the Council.

Giles sighed heavily. "I'm quite certain they are. As I am no longer an official employee and they don't trust me, I've no doubt that they have their own people in place in Sunnydale, reporting back to the Council on your activities."

"The watchers are watching me? Us? And they expect me to do what they tell me?"

"I'm quite certain they don't 'expect you' to do as you're told," Giles said. Buffy had no trouble picturing the expression on his face, and she glared at the phone in her hand. "However, I believe, as we requested their assistance and information, it is only fair that we follow up with the necessary actions."

"Fine." She glared at the phone again. "How will I know when it's time to meet them?"

"I imagine they will contact me, or perhaps your mother. As long as we know how to reach you, we'll be able to relay the message."

"Okay. I'll wait for it… for a little while. Oh! I didn't tell you yet, Riley came by Mom's while we were there…."

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

Buffy huffed her disgust at the question. "Of course I didn't! But he knows there's something going on. I told him to go back and wait for whoever's on the way to get there before he gets all paranoid about Spike and me being demons…"

"Technically, pet…."

"Is that Spike? Where are you?"

"We're in Spike's crypt in Restfield. I'm not sure if there will be phone service downstairs, but I'll keep checking."

" _Downstairs?"_

"Yeah, I told you, it's not your average hole in the ground. Anyway, we're here and I guess we'll stay in tonight just in case Riley has second thoughts about not trying to capture us. But I'm going out tomorrow, no matter what."

"Well, check in with me before you do, in case I have information for you from the Council."

"Okay."

She flipped the phone shut and looked at Spike. "I guess we're stuck here again for the night."

He glared at her. "It's a good thing I know how much you like going out and killing things, Slayer."

"Huh?"

"A less knowledgeable man might have had his feelings hurt at hearing you think spending the night with him is 'being stuck'."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You knew what I meant!"

"I'd like to think I do, but—"

"Please tell me I didn't trade soothing Riley's ego for the rest of the year with soothing yours."

"Had to do that a lot, did you?" He grinned, good humor restored.

"Often enough," she muttered as he put his arms around her.

She felt his chest shake with chuckles. "I knew you weren't getting off on shagging that big lump," he crowed. "Could tell from the sounds you made."

She stiffened. "And you knew that… how?" Memories of finding cigarette butts in the yard had her narrowing her eyes.

His survival instincts kicking in, he said quickly, "Not important, love. I just thought there may have been trouble in paradise once or twice. Vampire's intuition and all that."

"There's no such thing as 'vampire's intuition'," she growled. "Exactly when did you start stalking me and hanging out in my yard?"

"Sooner than you know about, but less often than you think," he admitted with a sigh as he let his arms drop. "I quit doing it once I started falling in love with you. Hurt too much. It was one thing to know what you were doing with him, another to have to listen to it."

"That night you took me to the bite house…."

"Was really a few blocks away, I swear. But I saw the farmboy hustling toward demontown and followed him long enough to see where he was going. Came back to your house and could tell you were asleep, so I knew he'd snuck out on you." He shrugged. "Seemed only right to show you what a wanker he was."

Buffy shook her head. "You know you're lucky I didn't stake you on the spot, right?"

He nodded. "I know. And when I saw your face, how much it hurt you to see that, I was almost sorry I'd done it."

"Almost?"

"You needed to know, love. You needed to know that your white knight was getting a little soiled, and you needed to know he was putting you and yours in danger. Stupid git might have got himself turned. Doesn't happen often, but mistakes get made. You may not believe me, but I didn't mean to hurt you like that. I thought you'd just get brassed off at him and break up."

"Which we did. For all the good that did you."

He shrugged. "Gave me some time and space to work on charming you with my good looks and sexiness." He batted his eyes at her.

Buffy shook her head at him, breaking off to yawn. "I'm too tired to point out all the stupid things you did that year. I'm going to bed. Are you coming?"

He nuzzled her neck, smiling when she yawned again. "I'm guessing from the way your eyes keep drifting closed, I'm not. You go on down and go to sleep. I've got some more housekeeping stuff to do up here. I'll be there when you wake up."

"You'd better be," she muttered into his chest.

"I promise, love." He kissed the top of her head and let go of her so he could pull back the plywood over the lower level.

XXXXX

When he slid into bed beside her much later, she just murmured his name and curled up closer to him. With a satisfied smile, he put his arms around and let his own eyes fall shut.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

They awoke once just before dawn, made slow, sleepy love and dozed off again. When Buffy woke up the next time, it was late morning and she knew she had to get going. Leaving Spike to sleep like the vampire he was, she ran into the tunnels, candle in hand, peed quickly, and dashed back to the crypt, vowing to make adding a real toilet to Spike's list of things to fix.

She dressed and went up the ladder, adding 'fix ladder' to the list, and checked her phone to see that she'd just missed a call from Giles.

"Hey, Giles. I'm here, I was just too far away to hear that I had a message."

"Good morning, Buffy. I have news from the Council. It seems the new military officers will be arriving around noon and they will have with them a young man from the British Army. That young man is also the son of a high-ranking Council member and well-versed on what has been going on. He will be expecting you to meet them at the entrance to the campus nearest Lowell House at 1:00."

"Okay… I guess… Is Lowell House still there?"

"I understand parts of it are. I believe Willow has more information for you." He hesitated. "Both Willow and Spike are expected to be with you when you meet with the Army group."

"I can understand Spike… if the Council is really watching us, they know he was saying he was involved in the experiments there, but why Willow?"

"I'm not clear on that at all… however the Council works very closely with a coven of powerful witches who may have detected traces of Willow's spell."

"They can tell she did a spell from all the way over there?"

"My Will Be Done is a very powerful spell. It's certainly possible traces of it could be felt. It's also possible that a local practitioner of magic detected it and alerted the coven. I truly do not know." He sounded quite disgruntled, making Buffy smile to herself. "Apparently I am no longer to be privy to anything not directly related to my non-duties here."

"Okay, Giles. I'll keep you in the loop, once I know what the loop is…. Let me get something to eat and call Willow."

"What do you plan to do about Spike? He can hardly join you in mid-day."

Rather than get into an argument about her having given Spike the Gem of Amara, Buffy just mumbled something about sewers and tunnels and manholes before she hung up.

She was just finishing a quick breakfast of cereal and peanutbuttered toast when Spike stuck his head above the floor.

"Morning, love," he said, smiling at her. "Do we have a plan?"

"Apparently the Council does," she responded, somewhat unhappily. "We're supposed to meet the new Army guys at 1:00."

" _We?"_

"Yes. Don't ask me why the Council expects a vampire to be able to do that, but they want Willow too, so maybe we can explain why you aren't there."

"I can be there, Buffy. The soldiers won't suspect what I am if they see me in the sunlight."

" _They_ won't, but I'm guessing the Council kid knows about you."

"Ah, hence your comments about understanding why they would be looking for me. And what is a 'Council kid'?"

"The son of some Council muckity muck is in the Army – England's army – and he's going to be with them for some reason."

"No doubt to see what nefarious things I'm up to," he snorted. "How do you want to play this?"

She smiled at his willingness to let her take the lead. "I can't decide. If he hasn't told them you're a vampire, which I doubt, then you could just walk over with me. But then he'll wonder why you aren't on fire…. I dunno. I guess the safest thing is for us to go separately. I can tell him you used the tunnels and… crap. We're supposed to meet them outside. That won't work."

"You can call me once you're indoors somewhere – I'm guessing they'll want to see what's left of the labs – and I can meet you there."

"That might work. Okay. I'm going to go get Willow and I'll call you when I know what's going on."

"All right, love. Be careful."

"You too. See you later."

XXXXXXX

Walking up to the agreed-upon site, Buffy gave the small group of men a non-committal smile.

"Are you the reinforcements?" she asked, glancing around the group and trying to identify which one had the watcher contacts.

"In a manner of speaking," said the one with the most medals on his uniform. "I am Colonel George. Are you Miss Summers?"

"I am. But please call me Buffy." She gave him a more genuine smile. "So what's the plan? Do you know what's been going on here?"

"We know a good bit about it – mostly through your… employer. Our purpose is to identify the personnel responsible for what seems to have been a gross violation of the mission and separate them from the members of our organization who were only following orders."

Buffy nodded. "I don't think any of the soldiers really knew what Mag—Professor Walsh was doing with the cyborg. But you might want to talk to the lab guys. Some of them had to be helping her."

A tall slender man, not wearing an American Army or any other uniform, looked around then back at Buffy. "Is Mr. Pratt going to be joining us… later?"

Buffy cocked her head at him, recognizing from his accent that he must be the liaison from the UK. She nodded and pointed at the sky. "He said he'd meet us inside. After I call him and tell him it's time."

The man smiled his understanding. "Please do call him and suggest he join us when and how he can." He held out his hand. "I am Winston… Smyth. A liaison from the British Special Forces, as you've no doubt concluded."

"Yeah. I figured that out. Why do want Spike?" Buffy demanded, ignoring the way the army men were frowning at the hard to understand conversation. "And Willow?"

"I understood he has personal knowledge of this facility… deep personal knowledge." He looked into Buffy's eyes with an expression that said he knew much more than he should.

With a frown, Buffy remembered that to this Council, Spike was William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers. They had no idea he'd been a captive of the Initiative. Nor that he should have a chip preventing him from being dangerous. The Council should have no idea that he might be a more important member of Buffy's entourage than expected. Nor that he had been faking when he showed up at Giles's door saying he could no longer hunt. Giles had not had time to let the Council know about Spike before he found out about their true identities. So how would this Mr. Smyth expect Spike to know about the labs? And why wasn't he more surprised to find him helping Buffy?

"Um…" She stepped closer to him and dropped her voice to a whisper. "He does have some knowledge, but the soldiers in there aren't going to know about it. They think he's a guy who hangs out with me and helps me sometimes."

"They don't know he's a vampire?" The young man's eyes grew wide. "How will you keep that from them?"

"You'll see," she said, stepping away and hitting the button to call Spike. When he answered on the second ring, she said, "Why don't you come now. Meet us in front of Lowell House."

"Slayer?"

"You need to be not a vampire today."

"I'll do my best, love, but…."

"Hurry up. I'll wait outside for you." She ended the call and smiled at the bewildered man. "He's on his way."

"If I understood that correctly, he is going to meet us outside? Now?" He rolled an eye up to the sunny sky.

"Yep. Let's go. I said we'd be in front of the frat house which is the easiest way to get into the Initiative. Unless the explosion set fire to the house?"

Buffy led the way across campus to Lowell House's spot at the far end of the section for fraternities. Looking at it with more knowledgeable eyes, she could see that it was situated close to the woods and with a good line of sight all the way around it. Knowing what she did about how well-protected it was, she had no trouble locating a few of the cameras and other sensors hidden around the building.

As they approached the house, now surrounded by yellow tape warning students away from the structure, she could see Riley and several of his men waiting on the porch. Behind them, the frat house looked almost normal – if you didn't think about the scorch marks on the siding, and the missing piece of roof where a fire had burned through.

"Is it going to be safe to go in?" Colonel George asked after exchanging salutes with Riley and introducing himself.

"Yes. It's very safe. I know it looks bad from out here, but it's really a very well-built and reinforced structure. Even the elevator still works."

"Elevator?"

"The areas you're interested in are several levels below us." Before the older man could ask, Riley added, "Except for the damage in the lab areas, everything else is pretty much okay. And the radiation levels are safe for short term visits."

The colonel glanced at Buffy who was watching Spike and Willow making their way towards the group. "I'm assuming you know what he's talking about?" he asked.

Buffy nodded. "I do. But Riley will be much more familiar with the lab and… containment… areas. So he'll be your best guide."

"Considering that you shouldn't know _anything_ about anything down there," Riley said as he watched Spike approach, "I'd like to think I know more about it. Why are you here, Buffy? And why are they here?" He pointed at Spike and Willow.

"They are here at my request," Winston said as he introduced himself once again as a liaison with British Special Forces. "Miss Rosenburg and I need to have a conversation. However, Mr –Spike, is free to accompany you if you feel he could be of assistance."

"Mr. Spike is free to decide for himself he wants to assist anybody," Spike growled.

"There's no reason Spike should know anything about our facility," Riley said stiffly.

"Quite right," Winston said smoothly. "Then we will just all wait for you out here and you can send for any of us you may need to question."

Colonel George, having been give explicit instructions that the young Brit was to treated with great courtesy and deference, nodded his head in agreement. "That's fine. If these are the people you needed to interview, by all means do so. If we require their… services…" His expression showed how unlikely that was. "We will send for them."

As the military men followed Riley into the building, Buffy and Spike exchanged looks, seeing that they were thinking exactly the same thing.

"You know too much," Buffy said. "What's going on?"

"That is very astute of you… and William… However, at the moment, I would like to speak with Miss Rosenburg before I explain myself to you."

"Sounds like 'British Special Forces' is code for Council of Wankers, pet."

"Sure does," Buffy agreed. "Why do you want to talk to Willow?"

"Yes. Why me?" Willow seemed to be doing her best to look confused and unsure of herself, but the dangerous look in her eye made Buffy take a deep breath.

"If we might?" Winston gestured at the steps of the porch, waiting until Willow had sat down, arms tightly crossed in front of her. When she seemed to be as settled as she could get, he smiled and said, "You are obviously a very powerful witch. Your connection to the power source here is quite strong."

"And you know that because…." Willow narrowed her eyes at him.

"Because, as your friends have so cleverly discovered, I am here representing the Council of Watchers. My job, in addition to meeting Miss Summers and her… and William the Bloody, is to meet with you and assess your willingness to accept an offer of training in the magical arts and spell casting from our coven in the UK."

"What makes you think I need training? I'm a damn good spell caster." She waved her hand at the building behind them. "I did that that," she said proudly. "I made a monster blow up before he could kill a whole bunch of people and make more monsters."

"You did. You've indicated a very useful ability to positively affect the lives of those around you. It is quite impressive. However, magic can be used effectively to assist those who fight against evil without it being based on your own assessment of when and if it is important to use it."

"Meaning you don't trust me to make good decisions?" Willow's eyes narrowed even more as she glared at the man with the deceptively gentle voice and hard eyes. "Do I need to bring out the fishy word to magic you back to where you came from?"

"Willow!"

"Easy, Red. The poor bloke is just trying to help you."

"I don't need that kind of help!" The glare she turned on Spike was a reminder that this Willow had no history of fighting beside him to soften her opinion of him. "And you need to remember I can make the chip fry your brain in a heartbeat, Mr. 'William the Bloody'!"

Buffy and Spike exchanged looks, but before Spike could snarl a response, Winston held out a restraining hand. "Please," he said. "Allow me." He turned back to Willow.

"And there you have proof of how much in need of training you are. You have allowed your temper to cause you to make threats against both one of your friends and allies, and a complete stranger. Neither of whom deserved that level of retaliation."

"I. Do. Not. Need. Training. I have a genius I.Q. and a gift." She drew herself up, her hair standing away from her head and crackling with electricity. "He isn't my friend. I don't care how long Buffy's known him, or how many souls he has – to me he's just a neutered vampire with no value to the world. And you, you're just some Council flunky sent here to poke his nose into our business."

She whirled on Buffy. "I thought you trusted me? That we agreed I would use a safe word so I don't accidentally cause… any of those things you say I caused in your time."

Buffy shot a quick look at Winston to see if he'd picked up on "in your time", but he was just watching Willow with a speculative look on his face.

"Willow… I do trust you. I didn't ask the Council to send anyone to talk to you. I know you want to do the right thing. But you get hurt and mad, and then you… you do stuff. And now, we won't know what to expect. We could have dealt with a repeat of what happened… before… because we would've known it was only temporary and you didn't mean to do any of it to us… But now, we won't have any idea if something is happening because you said it should, or because it's just a result of… of… the different circumstances," she finished lamely with another look at Winston.

Willow looked at Winston also to see that he was exchanging glances with Spike. He spoke quietly, asking, "Am I correct that you will you be all right if this goes badly?"

Spike hesitated, then nodded. "Think so."

"Good." Winston's demeanor changed and he faced Willow again, suddenly seeming much older and more sure of himself. "Miss Rosenburg, I really wish you would consider my offer. Your ability to channel the available power in Sunnydale is quite impressive, but your inability to control your temper makes you a danger, not just to your friends, but to the world. Please consider the source of that power and ask yourself if you really want to risk being influenced by a Hellmouth."

Without waiting for Willow's response, he turned to Buffy. "I'd hoped not to have to do this, but I believe you should know… I came here from the same place you did… just a few months later." His gaze shifted to a still-furious Willow, then back to Buffy. "We all appreciate what you and Mr. Pratt are here to do, but we also know who was ultimately responsible for the situation. I'm hoping to be able to take that particular danger out of the equation, leaving you and Mr –"

"Spike," he interrupted.

"–Spike to deal only with Glorificus herself."

"Hellmouth?" Buffy was gaping at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm speaking of the source of the magic Ms. Rosenburgh is channeling." He paused to address Willow again. "Did you not know what you were calling upon?"

Willow glared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about. The only power I called upon was my own! What else is there?"

"There's earth magic," Spike said. "That'd be my guess is what most good witches use. Not like I've had a lot of experience with good witches, but…."

"But if you met one, you'd call her Glinda. Isn't that right,?" Willow challenged him to deny it, but after a quick glare at Buffy, he nodded.

"I probably would. If and when I met one. I've only known one, but she was something very special. Not as powerful as you are, but she never threatened to let the chip fry my brain."

"She liked you," Buffy said.

"Liked her too. But even if we hadn't liked each other – and had more than a bit in common – she'd never have done anything like that…. or even talked about it," he added, as Willow tried to deny that she would have followed up on her threat.

"Well, _I_ don't like you. I don't even hardly know you, and if you didn't have that chip, you would have killed me last month. So if I were you, I'd just take a hike or keep your mouth shut."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

"I was already me by then. You were in no danger. I was just playing it out the way I knew it should go."

"Well, I didn't know that, did I?" she muttered. "You were pretty convincing…Wait! Does that mean you _don't_ have a chip in your head? That's why Riley doesn't know you? Because you were never in those labs?"

"Was in them. Too bloody long," Spike said with a growl. "Know just as much about them as anybody here, including what a chip can do to me."

"Remember, Willow, we've been through all this. Spike spent a long time in those labs the first time we were here. Until he saw that I wasn't the me he expected to find, he thought he'd have to do everything the same as before. But there was no reason to let himself be captured and experimented on again when he knew how to avoid it."

"Technically, pet, I probably should have. Who knows what that has changed for us already?"

"Too dangerous," Buffy said emphatically. "They might have killed you this time, or you might not have been able to escape. You did the smart thing." She frowned. "If you think about it, we probably both should have kept pretending to the be the us from this time, but then we couldn't have… and Giles would have… and Willow—"

"Willow is standing right here," she said stamping her foot. "So do you have a chip or not?" she demanded, bringing the conversation back to her original question.

He cocked his head at her. "Why do I think if my answer was no, I'd find myself with one anyway?"

Buffy and Winston stared at Willow with carefully blank expressions on their faces, but wary curiosity behind their eyes. Buffy exchanged a quick look with Spike, wondering if the Gem could protect him from getting another chip, or by being hurt by it. She could see he was wondering the same thing.

More oblivious to the suspicions of the three people watching her than she should have been, Willow just shrugged, saying, "It really doesn't matter what you say. You're right. I can just say you have a chip and you will." She frowned. "Although I don't know why you wouldn't – if you were chipped the first time you were here, you'd still have it. Unless by killing Adam I've changed your timeline to where you never got one in the first place…. Wow. This time travel stuff is trickier than I thought!"

"Maybe now you can understand why we're trying to be so careful? We don't know what might change just from something little that we do here. And eliminating Adam before he could start killing wasn't a little thing. It was big. Huge, even."

"It was, wasn't it? I don't know why you aren't being nicer to me. I did you a big favor."

"I never said you didn't, Willow. We just want you to be careful and… and maybe consult us, or Giles, or Winston?" Buffy gave him a quick glance and got a nod in return. "Before you do anything on your own. You don't want to find yourself addicted to dark magic, do you?"

"What a weird thing to say! Don't tell me you believe this guy about channeling the hellmouth? This is _my_ power. I'm not getting help from anywhere – evil or good. And I'm certainly not addicted to anything."

"So, if you were to be cut off from the influence of the hellmouth, you believe you would still be as powerful?" Winston kept his face carefully neutral as he asked his question.

"Of course I would!"

"Then surely you won't object to learning more about using earth magic? There is no way it could harm you. You could even accompany me back to England for training if you wanted to."

"I certainly do object! What would I want to do that for? I'm doing fine on my own here." She waved her arms around. "You guys are getting on my nerves. I'm going to leave now before I start saying things you'll all regret." She whirled and began to stomp away, freezing in mid-stride when Winston waved his hand at her.

"Whoa!"

"Bloody hell!"

"I really didn't want to do that," Winston said with a sigh.

"What did you do?"

"How did you do it?"

"I may have been a bit disingenuous about myself. I believe you were told I am the child of a council member?" When they nodded, he sighed again. "I am actually a member of the coven I'd hoped to introduce Willow to. I am a trained…. I suppose sorcerer is the word you'd use. I can sense the power she has, and she is obviously capable of being a force for good. However, what she doesn't realize is that she is pulling much of that power from the hellmouth. And it is feeding her sense of pride and arrogance."

"You can't leave her standing there," Buffy said. "What are you going to do? Willow is my friend, I'm not going to let you take her anywhere she doesn't want to go."

"I'm hoping that won't be necessary," he said looking momentarily sad. He took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Buffy. "Please tell her this missive… from several years from now… is for her. From someone who wants very much for things to go differently now."

"Somebody I know? Somebody from the future Slayers and Watcher Council?"

"Yes… and no," he replied. "Willow's abuse of her power so early on this time had some… consequences… in the way the future plays out." He smiled at Buffy. "Please don't think you've done anything wrong. You've saved many lives by destroying Adam and bringing the Initiative to light. But it was a change, and if she remains this convinced she's in the right, it may make her less able to be of use to you in the near future… and more vulnerable to evil influences. Our hope is that I can help her understand that she is not only calling upon the hellmouth's extra power, but allowing it to influence her behavior."

"Who is this "our" that's hoping?"

"The coven, as it exists now, er, the future now. The letter is from one of our members… one who has personal knowledge of how easy it is to come to depend upon the hellmouth's magical boost."

"Why'd they send you. Shouldn't it be somebody… older? And more experienced?"

He smiled again. "I'm older than I appear," he said, sliding his eyes toward Spike. "Much like your partner, I do not age as quickly as most humans."

"And you're stronger than Willow." Spike's comment was not a question, but Winston nodded his answer anyway.

"I am," he said simply. "With luck, I will not have to demonstrate that in front of her, although I was prepared to do so if she tried to harm you."

"'Preciate that, mate. Don't fancy getting that chip put back in my head just so she can make it kill me."

"Nor do I want the Willow I know to have to live with the knowledge that she did so. Please give her the letter when you get a chance," he said to Buffy just as Riley came out of Lowell House. "I'm hoping that will be all it takes, and she will allow me to provide her with some mentorship."

He waved his hand again, and Willow stumbled a little before turning back to stare at them suspiciously. When they just stared back at her, she tossed her head again and walked off without looking back.

Buffy looked over at Riley who was frowning but waiting for her to notice him.

"Do you need me?"

He sighed. "It seems we need you and… Spike. We need someone to look at the hosti—sub-terrestrials we still have and tell us which ones can safely be allowed to go…." He shrugged. "Wherever they would go."

"Home," Buffy said. "They would want to go home."

Riley looked uncomfortable at the idea that creatures he still wanted to refer to as "hostiles" could have homes to return to, but he nodded and held the door open.

"Are you coming too?" Buffy asked Winston, who shook his head.

"I'm going to have a chat with your Mr. Giles so we are all on the same page with Willow. I have a missive for him also."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. "Are these letters from their future selves?"

He smiled again. "You are every bit as astute and clever as I've been told."

"Do you have letters for us?" Spike asked.

He blinked in surprise. "Why, no. You are not there. Either of you. You are here. You won't be there for several more years."

"You're not there either," Buffy pointed out.

"Indeed, I am not. I may have to wait out my time here just as you will, and then hope I will arrive at a place that seems familiar."

Buffy shuddered at the reminder that they had no idea what changes they were making in the future from which they came.

"Buffy!" Riley interrupted impatiently. "I have a full colonel down there waiting for me to bring you to him."

"Sorry! We're coming." She began moving toward the door, leaving Spike to say good-bye to Winston.

"I guess we'll see you later, mate," he said as he followed Buffy. Winston just nodded again and raised a hand in farewell.

XXXXXXXX

As they followed Riley into the elevator and down into the Initiative office and lab areas, Buffy could feel Spike growing tense beside her. She put a soothing hand on his arm and tried to send calming vibes. He exhaled a deep breath and relaxed his tightened muscles. "I'm okay, pet," he said softly.

Riley gave him a curious glance, but then was busy opening the door and ushering them out into the containment area.

"Ah, Miss—Buffy and, William is it? Thank you for waiting around. It appears that your expertise is needed to help us determine which of the remaining captives… some of them sentient beings I understand…." He sent Riley a glare. "Which of them are not inclined to be harmful to humans and can safely be allowed to go free."

"Uh, sure. Spike's probably going to be more useful than me… I don't pay much attention to harmless demons. They stay out of my way, and I don't slay them."

Colonel Smith gave her an incredulous look, but didn't comment except to Spike. "So shall we begin? This is a terrible situation and I'd like to make it right as best I can."

Buffy and Spike began to walk down the line of cages, pointing out which of the hopeful inmates could be released and which ones probably shouldn't be.

"Oh my God, is that Clem?"

"No, but it is his younger brother." He leaned down to whisper to Buffy. "In our time, he died in these cages." In front of the disbelieving eyes of the humans present, Spike walked up and waited for Riley to open the cage. "Bert! You little rascal. Your mum is worried about you. Best get your wrinkled arse home before she tans it for you."

The young demon, who did look much like Clem, sidled out, keeping one eye on Buffy and one on the soldiers. "What's going on, Spike? And why are you with the Slayer?"

"Explanations later. Tell Clem I said hi and we'll hit a poker game together next week some time. Just get out of here."

"I'm gone! And thanks, Spike… and Slayer…"

"You're welcome," Buffy said. "Say hi to Clem for me… or wait. I guess he doesn't know me yet. Never mind."

Riley's narrowed eyes and the Colonel's somewhat less suspicious, but equally puzzled expression made Spike clear his throat and nudge Buffy. She quickly realized her mistake and smiled brilliantly at the colonel.

"Wow! This is quite a setup, isn't it? It's too bad they were scooping up harmless demons along with the ones Mag—Professor Walsh was using in her… whatever experiments she was doing. I'm just going to be quiet now and let Spike tell you who's who and what's what."

Spike had already moved on to a cage holding a clearly drugged Fyral demon that was minus his horns and appeared to have no claws. Shooting Riley a murderous look, he said, "This one's too done for to be dangerous, but the kind thing would be to put him down now that you've mutilated and crippled him."

Riley looked embarrassed, even more so when the senior officer stepped up beside them.

"Is this creature also sentient?" he asked Spike, who shrugged.

"In a sense, he is. They have a language and can do simple jobs that involve brute strength and bad attitudes. But they're loners and vicious by nature. Nothing like humans and can't be reasoned with. You won't be doin' anyone a favor turning him loose – not even him. His own kind will kill him now that he's helpless."

The Colonel nodded and moved on. As they went down the row, which really didn't contain many healthy demons, they found more and more with body parts missing. Most were sitting in drug or pain-induced stupors, barely noticing the humans going by. Spike shook his head at most of them, only stopping once to point to a very human-seeming woman. Only her pointed ears and the tail training behind her indicated her non-human status.

"She can go. Never harmed anyone in her life… and I think she has a family – kids – looking for her." He tapped on the glass. "M'rna? Do you want to go home?"

She blinked up at them, focusing on Spike and frowning. "Did they catch you too?"

"Not this time," he growled, glaring at Riley. "C'mon, luv. Let's get you out of here and home again."

She came out slowly, hesitating when she saw Buffy. "It's all right," Buffy said. "We're here to get you out."

M'rna looked at Spike for verification and at his nod, she smiled hesitantly. "Thank you. And thank you, Spike. I'll tell K'vn about this. If you ever need anything…."

"Just go," Spike said. "Run home to your family."

It took very little time to finish the tour of the remaining cages. So many of the stronger or newly captured demons had escaped when the lab blew up, that most of those left were too crippled to run. Spike pointed out two more harmless demons that were quickly released and sent to an exit, then turned to Buffy to say in her ear, "'Bout had all I can take of this place, love. I'll meet you outside."

He ignored Riley, nodded at the military men, and headed for the elevator saying, "I need some fresh air. Don't think you need me anymore."

"Is he all right?" The colonel frowned after Spike as he disappeared into the elevator car.

"Spike is a little… claustrophobic…." Buffy said weakly. "I think he's had all the being underground he can take for a while." She looked around at the cages and said, "We're done here, aren't we? Did you need me for anything else?"

"I think not," Colonel George said. "There will be clean up to do, and records to go over, and then we will be shutting this base down except for a small group of men familiar with the area who may be left here for a short time. Thank you for your assistance, Miss Summers. And please thank… Spike… for me."

"No problem." Buffy smiled again, then looked at Riley who seemed about to say something. "We can talk later," she said to him, hoping that was noncommittal enough that he wouldn't accuse her of lying when she refused to answer the questions she knew he wanted to ask. He gave a curt nod and turned away.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Buffy found Spike leaning against a tree and smoking a cigarette. He dropped it to the ground and blew out the smoke in his lungs before moving away from the tree and joining her.

"Are you all right?" She put a hand on his arm, frowning up at him.

"I will be. How about you?" he asked, taking a good look at her face.

Buffy shook her head. "You know, back in our time, all I was worried about was Maggie's attempt to kill me and then Adam. I didn't really pay any attention to what was going on with the… in the cages. I mean, I knew she was sticking different body parts on different demons, but I never stopped to think about what happened to the parts they started with – or what happened to the ones she took things from. As for the vamps… I mean your chip meant a really dangerous vampire was harmless. How was that a bad thing? And if they dusted the others…." She looked up at him. "I'm so sorry, Spike. Why didn't you tell us what kind of things they were doing down there?"

"Would you have cared? Back then? Would it have mattered if I told you about all the tests they did before they decided I was strong enough to be their experimental weapon? Or how many other vamps… a couple of them mates of a sort… they dusted in the process? The important thing for you to know was that I couldn't bite or kill, so you didn't have to dust me. Didn't go to the slayer for sympathy, Buffy. Went to you for shelter and food… and to protect me. Can't tell you how good it was to learn I could fight back against other demons."

"You didn't exactly hide how happy you were, if I remember right," she said with a small smile. "You were practically dancing with glee."

"Was pretty happy about, I have to admit. 'Course, if I'd known that before I came to you lot, I may not have done it. Could've kept the minions in line if I'd known I could hurt them."

"So, I guess it's a good thing you didn't know that at first, huh?"

"I guess so. Wouldn't have missed our engagement for the world," he said with a grin. "You have no idea how many times I thought about having your warm little arse on my lap when I was—"

"This is going to be one of those TMI things, isn't it?" she said, putting her hand over his mouth.

He kissed her palm as he pushed her hand away. "Probably is, now that I think on it. No sense giving you a swelled head knowing how early on you had me by the short hairs."

"You hated me, and you know it. Although that is an interesting image…."

"Hated you for a while longer, I guess. Or thought I did. Just couldn't convince my dick that we hated you."

Glancing around to see if anyone was close enough to see what she was doing, Buffy gave him a little pat before saying, "Well, it always has had a mind of its own."

"I think my mind and that particular body part just both went to exactly the same place," he growled. "I hope your plans for the rest of the day include some time in bed."

"I can't decide. I think I should check on Willow and give her the letter, but I really want to go to Giles' and learn more about Winston and what he's doing here."

"I expect he was telling the truth. He's here to try to keep Red from going off the reservation. Something that must have happened and changed the world we came from a bit." He sighed and adjusted himself. "I reckon the proper thing to do is for you to get to Willow and me to check in with Rupert and company."

"What are you going to tell him/them about walking around in the daylight?"

He shrugged. "He's going to have to know sooner or later, love. He already knows I found the Gem and that you kept it. He's too smart not to know you've given it to me."

"I guess you're right—" She punched him when he gasped and pretended to be shocked. "Jackass," she muttered. "Fine. You go meet with the other British guys and I'll go try to convince Willow we aren't out to get her."

"Wonder what's different this time? That she wasn't sorry is not—" He rolled his eyes. "Bloody hell, I forgot. She hasn't done anything to any of us yet, so she's got nothing to feel sorry about. Still, you'd think the girl who turned down D'Hoffren's offer wouldn't be so quick to be throwin' threats around."

"I know. I'm really having a hard time understanding her. She keeps bouncing back and forth between the shy, brainy Willow I remember from this time, and the bossier, magic-abusing one she turned into in a couple of years."

"Just shows that tendency to want to control everybody was already there, just needed the right circumstances to bring it out. Reckon we gave that to her when we let her take out the big bad all on her own, and kill a human or two at the same time."

"So this is our fault? Great. We've messed up already."

"We just need to see what we can do to fix it. Maybe our mysterious mage will have some ideas."

"I hope so. Okay, so I'm going to follow Willow and try to apologize or something. And you'll go talk in British in Giles and Winston."

"You do know it's the same language, don't you?"

Buffy waved her hand around. "Technically, I guess. But when you and Giles get going, it seems like every other word is one I don't know."

When Spike looked like he was going to say something, she stopped him with a glare. "Don't even _think_ about telling me it's because I'm not as educated as you two are!"

"Never crossed my mind, pet," he said, giving her a quick peck. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Did too," she muttered as he walked away. "Don't think I couldn't tell." His laugh floated back to her as he strode off with his face turned up to the sun.

XXXXXX

As Buffy strolled toward the dorms, it occurred to her that she had no idea where Willow was going when she left them. She cut into the snack bar for something to eat and drink while she thought about it, and found, to her delight that not only was Willow there, but she was sitting with Tara. She walked up to them, smiling at Tara who smiled back but seemed puzzled by Buffy's obvious happiness to see them.

Willow's urgent, "Buffy, this is my _new_ friend, Tara," came just in time to remind Buffy that this Tara had never met her, let alone become a good friend whose death was still mourned. Her intended greeting morphed into an awkward, "Tara! I mean, Tara, how nice to meet you. What a pretty name."

"H….hi," she replied, ducking her head. "Willow's told me a lot about you."

Buffy glanced at Willow who frowned and gave a tiny head shake.

"Oh. Well. Good then. It's like you already know me. Willow and I have been friends since high school. But she probably told you that already…"

"We're just getting to know each other," Willow said. "Tara is in my Wicca group – and I think she's probably the only other one in there who actually knows anything about magic."

"So you do magic too? How nice that you and Willow have something in common." Buffy sat there beaming at them until Willow said, "Did you have some reason for coming in here, Buffy?"

"Um… oh, yeah. I was going to grab something to eat while I…. but now I…. You know what? I'm just going to get it to go and go see what Spike and Giles are up to." She stood up. "It was nice meeting you, Tara. I hope we see a lot more of you."

Willow narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but nodded. She really didn't want to share her new friend with Buffy until she'd had a chance to get to know her better. She forced a smile and said, "Okay, well. I'm glad I got to introduce you. I'll see you later, maybe. Tonight. In the dorm… unless you have other plans…."

"I might. Since Mom knows…." Buffy broke off and smiled at Tara. "But Tara doesn't need to hear about what my mother does and doesn't know, does she? If I do come back to the dorm, it might be late. Depends on… other stuff that Tara won't care about. I'm just going to go now…. Bye!" Buffy turned and bolted for the exit leaving the two girls staring after her.

"She forgot her food," Tara ventured. "Is she always so impulsive?"

"Actually… yeah, kinda. She's always running off to or after something. You get used to it." She smiled at Tara. "Forget Buffy, tell me more about your mother and how she taught you to use…. What was it? Earth magic?"

XXXXXXXXX

Buffy paused outside the door to Giles's apartment, wondering if she should knock first, then decided not. She pushed it open to find Winston, Giles, and Spike sitting comfortably with glasses of amber liquid in their hands.

"Is this a 'no girls allowed' club or can anyone come in?"

All three men rose to their feet at her entrance, causing her to blink and shrink back against the door.

"What?"

Spike realized what they'd done first and with a grin at the other two men, and mental growl at himself, he dropped back into his chair.

"Force of habit, love. When a lady enters the room, a gentleman stands up."

"You've never done that before. And neither has Giles that I can remember. Must be Winston's influence." She sent the abashed-looking man a warm smile. "He hasn't known me long enough to know I'm not much of a lady."

"Quite," said Giles, looking just as embarrassed as Spike. "Forgive us. We didn't mean to startle you."

"You're more deserving of that title than a lot of 'real' ladies I've known," Spike growled. "Don't put yourself down, Buffy, just because we don't often treat you as one."

"Um… thank you? I think. And do we need to talk about all these 'real' ladies you know?"

"Was a long time ago, love. Put the green-eyed monster back in the box." He moved over in the big chair so she could sit beside him. "What happened with the witch? You're here bloody fast."

"She met Tara. I mean, I guess she'd already met her at her Wicca group, but they were having coffee in the snack bar and I felt like kind of an extra person, and it's not like I could talk to Willow with Tara there, so I just… babbled, I think. It was so hard to pretend I didn't know Tara. I was afraid I'd mess up."

"Tara is the young earth magic practitioner you mentioned?" Winston leaned forward. "I've heard of her."

Buffy's face fell. "So, if you don't know her, then she didn't make it to your time? She's going to die anyway?"

Winston shook his head. "I don't know. I just know she was not around in my timeline. Not at the time I left anyway… but it's possible they just didn't develop a relationship for one reason or another."

"Or it's possible… but if we do what we here to do, then none of those things that happened that year should happen… at least not the same way. And if Warren still thinks he wants to rule the world, or whatever the nerd version of that is, I should be able to stop him long before he gets mad enough to shoot me."

Giles spit his drink back into the glass. " _Shoot_ you? I thought you died jumping off a tower?"

"I did. But the next year, Warren shot me and the second bullet went through an upstairs window and killed Tara. Willow saved me at the hospital. She magicked the bullet out and healed me just before she went on her end-the-world rampage. But those things shouldn't happen this time. I'm not going to jump – or, if I do, Spike's going to stop Willow from bringing me back—" She stopped to put a soothing hand on his rigid arm. "But we're going to stop Glory before she gets that tower built, so none of that's going to happen. And if I'm not all depresso Buffy, and Spike is beside me, and we know who those guys are and how to find them…."

"Perhaps…" Winston said slowly. "Perhaps something else happens to Tara. Something before that time. Before Willow has really indulged in dark magic to resurrect you and she wasn't as inclined to try to wreck the world in her grief?"

"As it is now, all she'd need to wreck the world is to say she's doing it. As long as her My Will Be Done spell is in effect, she can do whatever she bloody well wants to or with the world." Giles took a large gulp of his drink.

Winston sighed and nodded, taking a big swallow of his own.

"Or maybe they won't hit it off this time," Spike said. "Red's already a bit off the deep end and unwilling to give up her power trip. That's not going to appeal to Glinda. She didn't fall in love with a power-happy witch who's using the hellmouth for a power supply, she fell in love with a sweet, nerdy little girl who was just learning her own magical strength."

They all nodded, recognizing the truth to Spike's words.

"I guess that's another of those things we just need to wait and see…" Buffy looked at Spike. "Do you remember when her family tried to take her away and she did that invisible demons spell?"

He shook his head. "I remember those wankers, and I'd be happy to meet them again, now that I know more about Tara…" He flashed a little fang. "But I don't really remember when it was in relation to anything else."

"Well it was after Giles got the Magic Box, 'cause that's where we were when—"

"How did you—Oh. Well it's nice to hear that my negotiations for it have a successful outcome." Giles sighed. "I don't suppose you have any idea when I go to closing? I've been waiting to hear for over a week now."

"Sorry, no. But it can't be too long from now because I remember we were all there when Tara's scuzzy family tried to make her go home."

"Why was that? And why wouldn't she go?"

"They _said_ it was because she was a demon and needed to be where her family could make sure she didn't hurt anybody. But by then we already knew her pretty well – especially Willow – and we knew that they just were using the demon story to keep her under their thumb. After her mother died, Tara had to step in and take care of all the cooking and cleaning for them. They wanted their slave back."

"I take it that didn't go well for them?"

"Nope. Spike proved Tara wasn't a demon, and we all lined up in front of her and told them they had to go through us. I guess we looked pretty scary, cause they backed off and left."

"They didn't know what you are?" Giles asked in surprise.

"Not unless they saw me fighting the demons after Tara broke her hiding spell. Which I don't think they did…. It was just me, Dawn, Willow… I guess Xander was there… oh, and Spike. But he wasn't in game face and he was trying to sneak away."

She glared at him and he protested. "Hey! Knew I'd be useless in a fight against humans, didn't I? It'll be a different story this time." He paused. "That's assuming that the witches have a relationship this time around. We don't know if that's gonna happen yet – what with Tara being all about being good and using earth magic and Willow… not."

Giles looked at Spike speculatively. "How did you prove Tara wasn't a demon?"

Spike shrugged and looked embarrassed. "Got tired of all the back and forth yammering about it and just popped her in the nose. Chip went off and sent me to the floor. Was enough to convince Tara as well as all the Scoobies, so that's when they faced off against her Pa and his less-desirable off-spring."

"It still seems odd that they would back off from what should have seemed to them several young girls and perhaps one young man. You'd already made it obvious you couldn't help in a struggle." Winston frowned.

Spike laughed. "Reckon you've never seen the Slayer when she's squaring off for a fight, then. She's a right scary-looking bint even before you know what she can do. And the Bit can look just as intimidating."

To everyone's surprise, Winston laughed and nodded, flushing when they all stared at him. Spike narrowed his eyes. "Does that mean you've been on the receiving end of one of those looks?"

Winston coughed in embarrassment. "I may have…. once or twice…. But we worked it out."

Buffy stared at him, then shrugged. "Well, if we worked it out, we must be okay now. Is that something that happened in your timeline?"

"It is," he replied. "I'm assuming it won't happen now that we know each other much earlier on."

"Let's hope so," Giles interjected. "Now that Buffy and Spike are here, perhaps between the four of us we can work out some strategies for dealing with the other events we know are coming, as well as come to an agreement about what to do about Willow."

Buffy and Spike stared at Winston. "Didn't you tell him what you are?"

"I was just getting to that part of my—" Winston paused when Buffy glared at him. "Yes, there's that look. Right then," he turned to Giles, "you need to know what I am prepared to do if I must…."


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

When Winston had completed his story about where and how… and why… he'd been sent back, as well as shared with Giles the information that he was not as young as he seemed and was a "fair hand at magic" himself, Spike's snort had Giles sending him a sharp glance.

"Does that mean you agree or disagree with that assessment?"

"Means I think Winnie here is being a bit modest."

Giles turned his attention to Winston. "Is that true? Are you more adept than just 'a fair hand'? Strong enough to control Willow if necessary?"

"If necessary," he said, sending Spike an irritated look. "But I am truly hoping it won't come to that. In the future, my future, Willow and I are close friends and coworkers. I would prefer that she still be my friend when we get back to that year."

"We would all prefer that she make the decision to rethink her aversion to training, but it is good to know there is an alternative if we need it."

"In the meantime, I haven't had a chance to give her the letter yet, so we don't know if that might help." Buffy did her best to seem hopeful.

Winston nodded and reached into his pocket. "Which reminds me…." He pulled out another envelope and handed it to Giles. "This one's for you."

Giles took it with a suspicious frown and turned it over in his hand. "This appears to be my handwriting."

"It is. I don't believe your letter is as fraught with advice and drama as the one Willow wrote to herself, but you… future you… felt it would be useful to offer you some support when it comes to listening to Buffy… and to Spike."

"Afraid I'd stake first and ask questions later?" Giles said with a grimace.

"Something like that, I guess. In my – our – timeline, there was an… incident… that we'd like to prevent, and it may require William-Spike to do something of which you disapprove."

Giles frowned. "I already know he's been sent back to kill Glory's human host if that's what is necessary to prevent her from opening the portal. That is more likely to be Buffy's issue than mine."

"Buffy's planning to beat her to death with the magic troll hammer so that Ben doesn't have to be killed by anybody."

Winston gave Buffy a quick nod before continuing.

"This has nothing to do with dispensing with Glorificus in whatever manner possible. As of the time I left the future, that is still your priority." He turned his attention back to Giles. "I am here to offer assistance as needed to either work with Willow on her training – my first choice, obviously – or to control her if necessary. I hope to get her to accept the need to end her My Will Be Done spell. There is no way a practitioner of her age and inexperience could have successfully worked that spell without pulling a lot of power from the hellmouth. And with that power has come an unhealthy craving for more of it."

Giles groaned and shook his said. "I don't know why that didn't occur to me. Of course she's pulling her power from the hellmouth. I was so busy being shocked at what she could do, I didn't think to wonder how she was able to do it. That's a serious oversight on my part, and I apologize for it."

Winston shrugged. "There's probably not much you could do about it after the fact. Or before that. As I understand it, she had begun to refuse training already."

"She had, but it was primarily due to her unhappiness over the loss of her boyfriend. Had I – had we – been more understanding about her emotional state, we might have been able to prevent her from working the spell. Now, we must deal with the consequences."

"Giles, didn't you say some of the books about time travel say that some things can't be changed. That they have to happen? I mean, it's not like we didn't try to stop her. We just couldn't. All we could do was change what happened after."

"Which might have made it bloody worse," Spike muttered, wincing when Buffy punched his thigh. "Ow, Slayer."

Ignoring them, Giles nodded. "That is a theory or hypothesis that some scientists adhere to. They believe that while it is possible to make changes – often big ones – in a timeline, there are some events that, for whatever cosmic reason, must occur in some fashion or another."

"So, Willow had to do that spell, even if it had very different results? Well that sucks."

Winston nodded his head. "That is a strongly held hypothesis on time travel. It's possible that our—" he gestured to himself and Buffy and Spike— "adventure in time will be used to contribute data to that hypothesis – perhaps enough to make it a theory. Unfortunately, we will have no way of knowing what can and cannot be changed."

"I guess if we try to change what we think we should, and leave alone the things that aren't going to hurt anybody if they happen…."

"Prob'ly about the best we can do. What's your take on it, mystery mage?"

Winston flinched. "I'm not really trying to be mysterious. Just sharing as little as possible so as to have a small an effect as possible." He sighed. "No doubt, by the time we reach the time we came from, we will all know each other to the point that there will be no secrets."

"Not sure I want you to know all _our_ secrets," Spike said with leer that caused Buffy to hiss at him. Her "Spike!" had no effect on his laughter at the expression on Giles's face.

With a deep sigh, Giles tried to ignore Winston's barely-smothered smile and said, "I don't doubt there are many things I'm sure I have no desire to know about your relationship with Buffy. Please feel free not to share them."

Her face bright red, Buffy tried to change the subject. "So what's our plan?"

Winston glanced at Giles, then responded. "I think we shouldn't do anything until we know she has seen the letter she wrote herself."

"And how much she wants to be with Tara," Buffy added. "She looked pretty happy today, and not so glad to see me, so if she falls in love with Tara again…."

"Between the two, perhaps she will willing give up the spell," Giles finished for her. "If there were only something we could do to reduce the pull from the hellmouth…."

"I could pull it down around my ears, but all things considered, don't think that's the best choice."

"Not my first choice, either," Buffy said. "That's not going to happen this time around."

Giles stared at Spike, then at Buffy's perfectly serious face. "I presume it is too much to hope this is an exaggeration, rather than one of those things you wish to avoid this time?"

Winston said. "Have you not told him how you came to be here?"

Spike and Buffy exchanged glances, then shrugged. "We told him as much as we needed to for him to know why it's important that I don't get resurrected—"

'That you don't need to fucking die!" Spike growled, subsiding when she patted him on the leg.

"Well, yeah, that too. But anyway…" She turned to face Winston. "I didn't think we needed to share all the details…. I'm mean we weren't even going to tell him that Willow did the spell. He guessed that part."

"Don't you think sharing that William the Bloody sacrificed himself to shut down a hellmouth bursting with Turok-han might have made him a bit less dubious about having Spike in his home?"

Giles's "Dear lord!" was almost drowned out by Spike's quick response.

"Was the Slayer's idea of sharing her power and taking the fight to the First that got the ball rollin' and won the battle. All I did was use a piece of ugly jewelry for the cleanup." He gave a small smile as his mind clearly went elsewhere. "It was a bit of alright," he said. "Watching my soul rain destruction down all around me. If you've got to out, pullin' a city down around your ears is the way to do it…. If you're a vampire, I mean," he added as he saw all three humans staring at him. "That's prob'ly more of a demon thing…."

"Stop while you're ahead, Spike," Buffy said, nudging him.

"Actually," Giles said, clearing his throat. "I would quite like to hear more about… did you say shared her power? And… am I to understand that you destroyed Sunnydale?"

Buffy glared at Winston. "Now look what you've done. He's going to know all kinds of things that might not matter because we're going to prevent the First from getting that strong and opening the hellmouth to let those ugly things out!"

Winston shrugged his apology. "I understand your reluctance to put Mr. Giles into a position of knowing what could be coming, but in all fairness to him, I believe having a trained watcher aware of how important you both are to the world, as well as how you got to that point, could only benefit the effort to avoid any potentially harmful events this time."

Buffy sighed and looked at Spike. "What do you think?"

"Your call, love. You know the man better than I do."

Buffy chewed her lip for a second then shrugged. "Okay. Why don't you tell him what you think he needs to know. If he has questions, or if there's something you don't know because it was different in your time, we can fill in the blanks later." She stood up and stretched. "Right now, I think we'll go back to our apartment and figure out what other stuff we need to buy, then do a quick patrol once it gets dark."

"I have a couple of questions before you go," Giles said, his expression grim. "If you don't mind."

Buffy cocked her head at him and waited. Spike stood behind her, his gaze on Giles as the man raised his eyes to glare at him.

"The first one concerns Spike's sudden ability to walk around without catching fire. I am assuming he is now in possession of the Gem of Amara?" His expression made it very clear what he thought of that idea.

"Yes, he is. That's why I kept it instead of sending it to Angel like I did in our time." She shot Spike a glance. "Not that he didn't try to get it from Angel anyway, the big jerk!"

"And yet, you are comfortable that this 'big jerk' is now invulnerable?" Giles glared at her in a way that made her stand up straighter and glare right back.

"Yes. I felt like it was important – in case somebody in this timeline thought it would be okay to go behind my back and have him killed."

Giles paled at both the expression on her face and her words, but summoned the courage to continue. "And if, as he just said, for the second time I might add, he used his soul to close the hellmouth, what then leads you to believe he is safe?" He transferred his gaze to Spike. "Is the soul gone? You no longer have it?"

Spike frowned and seemed to be thinking. "Um… nope, not gone" He felt around his chest, then nodded. "Yep, still here." He stared back at Giles. "If it wasn't, that overfed soldier wouldn't have—"

Buffy's grip on his arm stopped him. "A simple yes will do."

He shook her off. "Think it's time for us to go, Slayer. Leave the watchers here to talk about us."

"Yeah. Okay. We need to hit a grocery store and a butcher's. Do you still have some money left?"

He patted his pocket. "We're good. I'll pick up some more dosh tomorrow if it looks like we'll need it."

Without any other sort of communication with Giles or Winston, they walked out into the late afternoon sun.

XXXXX

"Well," Winston said, settling back in his chair.

"Well, indeed. Are they that arrogant in your time?" Giles drained his glass and got up to refill it, not noticing the frown on Winston's face.

"I didn't know them," Winston said quietly. "They'd already been sent back before I came on the scene. But I heard nothing but good things about them — individually as well as together. William—Spike, seems to have started helping Buffy to some extent very early on, and by this time next year he had fallen in love with her. Once that happened, he changed his entire life. Would that have happened if he had not been captured and incapacitated? I truly have no idea."

He held out his own glass for a refill. "However, that's not really relevant to this current version of William the Bloody. He is, and has been for several years, very much in love with Ms Summers, and very much a part of all her efforts to prevent potential apocalypses. And his record for assisting her, in spite of his obviously much-rued inability to prevent her from jumping off that tower, is very strong."

"She trusts him too much," Giles sighed. "She trusted another vampire and it didn't go well for the rest of us. Her heart leads her astray."

"If I understand them correctly, and what I've been told by others – including your future self – she was trusting him well before her heart became involved in their relationship. And he has proven himself to be worthy of that trust. Long before he got the soul…."

Giles sighed. "I suppose I should read my message from my future self, before I bollix something up by acting upon my instincts."

"That would be my suggestion," Winston said, his expression not giving away whether he was speaking sarcastically or not. Giles gave him a narrow-eyed glance, but didn't speak, only picking up the envelope and studying it. With a final glance at Winston, he opened it, took out the folded paper within, and began to read.


	19. Chapter 19

_All4Spike has graciously added her extra eyeballs and expertise in plot holes and Brit-speak to rest of this story._

 **CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Winston was silent, sipping his drink and watching Giles's face as best he could without being obvious about it. He watched the younger version of the man he knew as the driving force behind the restructured Slayers and Watcher's Council as he read and digested the words in front of him. He could see when Giles had reached the end and gone back to start over. When he'd read the entire fairly short message several times, he sighed and put it down on the table. He picked up his glass, took a long swallow, then met Winston's curious gaze.

"Well. It seems my future self thinks I am a bit too indoctrinated in the Council's party line and need to be willing to think more independently. Which, considering that I did not complete Buffy's Cruciamentum as instructed and quit my position at the time, is a bit disconcerting."

"I'm quite sure, as watchers go, you are more… thoughtful… than most." Winston said diplomatically. "You have already proven yourself to be somewhat open to working with vampires—"

"That was Angel, and I've since learned that the Council already knew of his existence and his soul. Which explains their lack of surprise when I reported he was assisting Buffy. What none of us knew, was the soul wasn't as firmly anchored as we would have hoped. Nor what could happen when Angelus was back in charge. What the Council and I both learned from that disaster was not to trust vampires. I'm a bit disappointed in Buffy, to be honest."

Winston shrugged. "I'm not an expert on their relationship by any means, but I suspect you would find that Spike had a rather difficult time of it before Buffy began to trust him to help her. And a rather longer and even more difficult time before she would trust him with her heart." He sighed and took another sip of his drink.

"What you are seeing now is a couple with a long and complicated history, one that neither of us has been a part of. From what I know of it, a history that has now permitted them – after horrific sacrifices from each – to be together openly and without fear. I, for one, do not blame them for taking advantage of this time together. Time together which may, if they are successful in their quest to avoid Buffy's death and resurrection, result in their having a very different future. Once again, they may be sacrificing the relationship at the altar of Buffy's mission to protect the world. I do not judge them for their need to cling together and try to protect each other as long as is possible."

Giles exhaled loudly. "Which appears to be what my future self is trying to tell me." He gave Winston a sharp look. "Shall I take that to mean that I have been less than fair to Spike in your time?"

"It seems you have, both in my timeline and in the one from which Buffy and Spike were returned. At the moment, those two timelines seem to be not so very different, although that is not likely to continue. Obviously, it is too late to change anything for either of them as far as their memories of your treatment are concerned, but you can certainly try to avoid repeating the same mistakes this time and perhaps give them new memories to carry into the future they are creating."

Giles glared, then slumped into his chair. "You should understand that up to this point, I have been the older and wiser advisor to these children… to Buffy and her friends, do you not? It is more than a bit disconcerting to suddenly have a more mature Buffy and a souled William the Bloody treating me as if there are things I'm not meant to know. And now, an apparently very skilled mage who seems not much older than the others, but who speaks as if he is only too aware of being more experienced than I."

"You do know that William Pr— Spike— was actually born in the 1850s, do you not? And that he was turned when he was in his mid to late 20s?" Winston paused to frown. "I really must see if I can get him to clear some of these things up for me." He shook himself. "But I digress. My point is, I believe if you can manage to treat him as an intellectual equal, rather than the somewhat compulsive… and aggressive… vampire I know he appears to be, you may find that he has both a good, if somewhat antiquated, education and a rather well-functioning brain. Much of what you know of him is a deliberate attempt to appear less intelligent and experienced than he actually is. It is the persona he built for himself when he became a vampire."

"Are you saying William the Bloody knows more than you do?"

"No. Not in the sense that he has my background in magic or with the Council – both as it is now and as it will be – but he _is_ even older than I am and therefore has experienced more history... and potentially learned from it."

" _Even_ older than you are?" Giles frowned at the man who appeared to be at least a decade younger than himself.

Winston shrugged and changed the subject. "As long as I am apparently going to be here for the duration, I believe I should find myself a place to live. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Where are you now?"

"I only just arrived a few days ago, so I am staying at a rather dingy hotel. I've been accustoming myself to driving on the incorrect side of the road, as well as learning my way about this unusual city."

Giles frowned, then said, somewhat reluctantly, "You are, of course, welcome to stay here until you have located somewhere suitable."

"Thank you." Winston smiled at him. "I appreciate the offer, but I believe I will use the rest of the day to look into some of the flats I have already been investigating. I should get going on that, actually. I appreciate your sharing your excellent scotch with me, but I shall get out of your hair now." He stood up and, as Giles joined him, put out his hand. "I sincerely hope we will become friends in this timeline as we are in mine."

Giles nodded and gave a rueful smile as he took Winston's hand. "I hope so also. I will endeavor to refrain from being offended at no longer being the oldest and wisest man in the room."

 **XXXXXX**

As Buffy and Spike strolled in the direction of their new home, he thought aloud, "Need to see if my car is still where it should be and get it out. This walking everywhere is a bloody pain sometimes."

"Where would your car be?"

"Either tucked into a shed in the brush near my crypt, or in storage in demon-town. Don't really remember, to be honest. Probably in storage. I wouldn't have had the crypt yet in our time, so the car would be somewhere else safe."

"What ever happened to that car?"

He shrugged. "I gave it to Clem when I left to get my soul. Had no idea if I was going to be successful, or even survive it, and I had the bike, so I thought he could use it. You had your mum's vehicle to use if you needed it…. And you wouldn't have taken it from me anyway, so Clem was the likely candidate."

They reached their building and began to walk around to their basement entrance when the landlord called to them from the office. He was frowning in clear surprise as he watched Spike walk up the steps with Buffy, his hair shining in the sunlight. Spike gave him a knowing grin, but said nothing as Max struggled to bite back a question.

"Hi Max," Buffy said. "Did you need us for something?" She cocked her head at the man who couldn't take his eyes off Spike. "Max?"

"Sorry," he said, visibly wresting his gaze away from the snickering vampire. "Yes, yes I do." He pawed through some papers on his desk and said, "Your furniture was delivered. I just wanted to give you the delivery slip so you could check to see it's all there. This is a pretty good neighborhood, but you never know when doors are propped open and people are carrying things in and out…."

"Do you really think somebody… or something… might try to walk off with anything belonging to _us?"_ Spike emphasized the pronoun, just to be sure Max got the picture. Which he did.

"Not everyone knows… I mean, Ms. Summers is well known by her… vocation… in some circles, but not necessarily by sight or name. And ditto for her 'husband'. We're not close enough to de— the part of town where either of you could be recognized, for that to be my concern. I was thinking more of a more ordinary criminal element that might take advantage of some inattention on the part of the delivery people. I try to keep an eye on things, but I do have other duties."

"It's okay, Max. We appreciate your concern, and I'll check right now to be sure it's all there. It's mostly big stuff, but there are some lamps and a TV, so—"

"If some juvenile delinquent walked off with my telly, there's going to be bloodshed," Spike growled, subsiding when Buffy poked him.

Max stared at him again, clearly trying to reconcile what he knew Spike to be with his ability to walk around in the daylight. Buffy sighed and shook her head. "Maybe when we know you better," she said, by way of explanation as they turned to leave.

"None of my business, I'm sure," Max said with a smile. "I was just wondering."

"Wonder away," Spike said as he walked back out into the sunshine.

Buffy rolled her eyes and followed him after giving Max an apologetic shrug. He laughed and waved his hand dismissively, watching them walk down the steps and around to their apartment. When they were out of sight, he went to his office to look up vampires and ways they could become immune to sunlight.

 **xxxxxx**

They entered the apartment to find the deliverymen had pretty much left everything in the middle of the living room. It was barely possible to walk through the wrapped furniture to get to the bedroom. Which was empty, the box spring and mattress they'd ordered still leaning up against the living room wall.

"Are they supposed to leave it like this?"

"No idea, pet. It's not like I do a lot of furniture buying."

"Me either – maybe they do more if the person is actually there to tell them what to do with it." She sighed. "Good thing we've both got super strength, huh?"

"It is," he said as he picked up the mattress and struggled through the bedroom door with it. Buffy dragged the box spring in and waited until he was ready to help her with where to put it.

"Not a very big room, is it?" She looked around and discovered there was really only one wall where it made sense to put the head of the bed. "Right here, I guess."

They set the box spring on the floor and ripped off the plastic covering it, then did the same for the mattress before placing it on top. With them both working, it took little time to get the chest of drawers and nightstands into the bedroom. Buffy tossed the packages of linens on the bed for later and joined Spike in the main room.

An hour later, they had a reasonably put together living room/dining room and a somewhat sparser bedroom.

"Whoops? I didn't even think about stuff to cook with or eat off. Or food to eat. We probably should have gone grocery shopping on the way here."

"Think we've still got time to hit a store. On the way here we walked past one of those big ones that carries everything."

Buffy shrugged. "Yeah, I noticed the parking lot. Dumb me not to think about food then. Hey, maybe we can get some blood for you at the same time. As long as we get stuff that can be frozen, or that keeps, we should be able to stock the fridge and pantry so we don't go hungry." She smiled at him. "After trying to keep the hungry hoards full last year, this should be a breeze."

He snorted. "That's right, I almost forgot you were buying for an army last time we shared a house. You can do this standing on your head."

"So, do we need a list? Dishes, silverware, glasses, cereal, blood, bread, coffee…."

"Let's go, love. We'll just wing it. It's not like we have to do everything right off." He looked around the kitchen. "Did you buy a microwave?"

"I thought so." She peered around. "I don't see one anywhere. Did you check the receipt?"

"Says there should have been one in the delivery."

"Huh. I wonder if—" She turned as there was a knock on the door and glanced at Spike, who was shaking his head.

"No idea, love. Want me to get it?"

"No, I'll get it. Must be Max. Nobody else knows we live here yet."

She opened the door and blinked as she saw Clem standing there holding a big box with a picture of a microwave oven on it. He looked over her shoulder at Spike, saying, "Spike? I was asked to bring this back. Seems my neighbor's kid and his friends thought they'd help themselves to some of your stuff. Joe was gonna make the kid bring it back himself, but when he found out where they got it—"

"How did he know it was ours?" Buffy narrowed her eyes at Clem, making him flinch and edge toward the door.

"Uh. It's pretty common knowledge that you two were gonna live here, Slayer. Joe and his kids look human, but they aren't, and word like that gets around the demon world pretty fast. He was afraid you… or Spike… might kill his boy if he made him bring it back."

Spike shrugged as he took the box from Clem and set it on the counter. "We wouldn't have killed a kid, but I can guarantee he'd've thought twice before stealing again."

"I'm pretty sure by the time his dad gets through telling him about the Slayer and William the Bloody, that kid won't even want to leave the house for the next few years." Clem laughed. "That's assuming he's off being grounded by then. His parents are pretty upset and worried about him."

"Maybe he needed to have the fear of… somebody… put into him. Tell his parents we're available for scaring their little monsters straight. We work cheap." Spike grinned to show he wasn't really serious.

Buffy shook her head. "Just tell your – Joe? – that we're happy to have our microwave back and we appreciate that he was going to have his kid do it. That's good parenting."

"They're good people… as g'mash demons go."

As Clem went to the door, Buffy and Spike followed him.

"We were just about to hit some stores and pick up some food and drink, or I'd ask you in to visit for a bit."

"No problem. You two newlyweds need your alone time. We'll catch up some other time." Clem waved his wrinkled arm and jogged off toward the part of Sunnydale where something that looked like him wouldn't have been so unusual.

Buffy and Spike stared after him.

"Alone time, huh. I like the sound of that…." He put his arm around her and squeezed. "Almost as much as I like the idea of being newlyweds."

Buffy leaned into him briefly then pushed away. "Food first. Other stuff… later."

"Gonna hold you to that, pet," he said as he followed her down the street. "I'll be lookin' to assert my husbandly—"

"Finish that sentence, and the only thing you'll be asserting is how much you didn't mean to sound so bossy."

"You're not behaving like a dutiful little wife, Slayer."

"This telling Max we're newlyweds is going to come back and bite me on the ass, isn't?"

"Well I might…." He leered at her, then sobered. "Would it be so awful? If we were?"

"No, of course not. But I don't like lying like that. Not to mention, apparently all the demons in Sunnydale now think I'm Mrs. William the Bloody. They'll probably expect me to go easy on them now."

"I've no doubt you'll set them straight, pet." He touched her arm as they reached the store. "Why don't I go line up a steady supply of blood for myself while you get food for you. There's a butcher shop just up the street a bit."

"Okay. I guess it's safe for us to go out alone now. Just don't do anything stupid."

"If I didn't know you had good reason for that remark, I'd probably be offended," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You better be," she muttered as he strode off down the street.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Forty-five minutes later, Buffy was outside, her arms weighted down with plastic bags of frozen dinners, canned goods, and box store versions of tableware. She looked around, but there was no sign of Spike. With a sigh, she debated whether to look for him or just start walking toward the apartment so she could get the food put away before the frozen items thawed. Deciding to opt for saving the food, she began the trudge home, muttering to herself about irresponsible, lazy vampires.

She'd only gone a block when Spike's old Desoto pulled up beside her. He leaned over to say, "Can I give you a ride, miss?" He wriggled his eyebrows as he ogled her.

Laughing, she pulled open the rear door and put the bags in the car. "I don't know. You look a little dangerous to me," she said, sliding into the passenger seat while Spike made a rude gesture at a honking car stopped behind him. Without looking to see if his gesture had been reciprocated, he pulled away from the curb and made a U-turn in the middle of the street.

"Oh my God! And _you_ were going to teach Dawn to drive?"

"Hey. She was doing fine… I mean, she would have done fine if I'd actually done that when she was so young…."

"I don't want to know."

"Good."

He pulled into the alley near their apartment and hopped out to help her with the bags. He added his own bag of clearly-labeled blood from various animals. They carried the bags of food inside and placed them on the counter. Buffy opened the freezer and frowned at it.

"It isn't very big, is it?"

"The blood doesn't need to go there, pet. Not much of it, anyway. That butcher must have a lot of demon customers. He didn't even blink when I asked for blood, just wanted to know what kind I wanted. We've set it up so he'll keep some on hand for me all the time, meaning it'll be fresh and I won't have to worry about storing more than an emergency supply here and in the crypt."

Buffy nodded as she took two small containers of blood from him and placed them in the back of the freezer. She stacked her frozen food in front of them, closed the door, and moved on to put the rest of the food away.

Spike held on to the remaining containers of blood. "I'll put them away, love. Need to have some of it first."

"Okay. I guess I should eat something too. I still want to do a short patrol tonight."

"Think we've earned ourselves a break, haven't we? Saved the world again already and nothing else to worry about for a while."

"Bite your tongue! You know you just jinxed us, you moron."

"Why don't you bite it for me?" he purred as he leaned in to nibble on her lower lip. "Hmmmmm?"

"Because that will lead to… other… things…. And we… have to… patrol…." In spite of herself, she was kissing him while she argued, ending by grabbing his tongue and biting it just hard enough to earn a growl from him before she slipped away to grab a yogurt from the fridge. Giggling at his disgruntled expression, she dug through the remaining bags until she found something to eat it with. Waving her spoon at him, she retreated to the couch and sat down to eat.

Muttering about teasing bints, he found a mug and poured blood into it, then realized they hadn't even unpacked the microwave yet, and growled again. He eyed the big cardboard box and then shrugged. "Fuck it," he muttered as he tipped the container up and gulped it down. He shook himself when he'd finished and made a face. "Blergh!"

He snorted at Buffy's laughter and put the mug in the sink to soak. Glancing around he said, "Reckon we should add rubbish bin to the list of things we need." He shook his head. "William the bloody, worrying about where to put the trash. Oh how the might have fallen…"

Buffy's eyes narrowed as she crushed her empty yogurt container in her fist. She threw the mangled cup into the sink and glared at him. "My mother has a perfectly good house, you know. Where I have my own room and… stuff. Not to mention the dorm room I'm not using that is costing my mom money. If you'd like to go back to living in a damp crypt… by yourself… go for it. Now. Before we spend any more money on furniture we aren't going to need. Like a double bed, for instance!"

Without waiting for an answer, or acknowledging his stricken expression, she shoved a stake in her waistband and walked out the door.

"Fuck," Spike whispered as he watched her stiff back until it was out of sight. Shaking himself and muttering threats to rip out his tongue for getting him into so much trouble, he set out after her, barely remembering to grab a key and shut the door behind him.

Rather than catching up right away, he followed her from a distance until she entered the gates of the closest cemetery. He sped up, but still didn't approach her as she marched up to a clearly recent grave around which loitered several dirt-covered vamps. Skipping her usual quipping, Buffy walked right up to the biggest of what appeared to be former high school or college athletes and pushed her stake through his chest. As his dust settled to the ground, she turned her gaze on the other vamps, who had now realized there was a human girl with blood pumping through her veins standing right in front of them. Too hungry to wonder where their companion had gone, they pushed and shoved each other in an effort to get to her neck first. The winner found himself the recipient of a roundhouse kick that sent him flying back into his friends.

Before they could regroup, Buffy waded into the pile and, muttering about useless, bloodsucking, good for nothing vampires, she began staking and punching until there was nothing left but dust scattered around the grave. She turned a baleful eye on the erupting soil, waiting only until the new vampire was only halfway out before clocking him on the chin with her foot. As he lay, semi-conscious and moaning on the dirt, she leaned down and drove the stake into his back, hard enough to hit the heart. She turned her back on the now-harmless pile of dirt and dust to glare at Spike, who was still a safe distance away.

They stared at each other, Buffy's anger fading away slowly as he began to approach.

"Feeling better now, love?"

"You know I was pretending everyone one of those jerks was you, right?"

He nodded. "Think I got that message, pet. And a well-deserved one it was." He fell into step beside her as she began walking deeper into the cemetery. "I'm sorry," he said, hands in his pockets and head down. "I never thought how that might sound to you."

"It sounded like you think I'm turning you into something you don't want to be," she admitted. "Like now that you've got me, you're not sure you wan—"

She got no farther than that before he had her engulfed in a powerful embrace that lifted her off the ground. "Please promise me, no matter how many stupid things might fall out of my mouth, you will never, never allow yourself to think anything that daft." He buried his face in the side of her neck and whispered against her skin, "I'll be thanking the Powers that Be—wankers though they usually are—every single day for the second chance they've given me... given us. Every. Bloody. Day. If it all ends by the time we finish what we came here to do, I know I'll still be grateful to them. Even if I can't remember why I'm grateful, I'll still know I should be. That I had something precious."

He continued to keep his lips on her neck, sucking on the skin there in between telling her how much he loved her and how sorry he was to have implied anything else.

Buffy allowed herself to enjoy his heated murmurs and the feel of his lips on her throat, relaxing against him and paying no attention to what was going on around them. Voices eventually penetrated the lustful haze Spike was creating, and she sighed and pushed against his chest until he let her drop to the ground. He still had his arms around her when she turned to face a small group of vampires flanking a bewildered Harmony Kendall.

"Blondie Bear, I thought you couldn't bite anymore? Are you all better now? Is that why you were biting Buffy? Why isn't she bleeding? Do you need me to help you?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and leaned back against Spike. She tipped her head up to look at him. "I thought she kicked you out when you got your chip?"

"She did," he snarled, glaring at Harmony.

"After you staked me when I found your stupid gem!" Harmony glared back, hands on hips.

"You staked her?"

"Yes, Buffy. He staked me. That's the kind of low-life you're … doing whatever you're doing with. And why are you doing it? Shouldn't you two be trying to kill each other?"

"Tried that. Didn't work. Decided I'd rather love the girl than kill her," Spike said.

"Well that's just pathetic, Spike. You can't kill the slayer, so you decide to use her to replace me. It's almost sad," Harmony sniffed. "Isn't it, boys?"

The less-than-bright-looking vamps behind her nodded uncertainly, keeping their eyes on the Slayer and the much older vampire standing behind her. Something about the couple's complete unconcern about being outnumbered had even the dumbest of them suspecting they should be leaving the area. They began edging away from Harmony, who was oblivious as she continued to berate Spike for trying to substitute Buffy for her.

Buffy stepped away from Spike and said, "I'll just let you two work this out while I go to work." As she finished speaking, she ran past Harmony and dusted the first two vamps before they could run. The remaining three took off running at a speed even Buffy probably couldn't have matched, so she settled for throwing a stake into one's back. She pulled another stake out and stared after the fleeing vamps, snorting in disgust.

When she turned around, Harmony had transferred her ire from Spike to Buffy. Still seemingly oblivious to her status as Slayer-prey, Harmony whined, "Those are my minions, Buffy! You can't stake them."

"Um… I just did. Or were you too busy yelling at Spike to notice?"

"Blondie Bear – you need to prove you still love me. Kill her!"

Buffy stared at Spike who rolled his eyes and shrugged. "She's really not as stupid as she sounds," he said.

"Spike, I went to high school with her. She's every bit as stupid as she sounds. I'm very disappointed in you."

"What can I say, love? I was just back in town, newly single, and she's got a great se— um a great sense of humor?"

"Nice save," Buffy said, glaring at him. "Almost. We'll talk about this later."

"Lookin' forward to it," he sighed. "What do you want to do with her?"

Finally catching on that Spike was not planning to save her from Buffy's stake, Harmony turned and began to run – somewhat awkwardly in the high heels she was wearing.

Buffy watched her run off and shook her head. "I should stake her I guess. She's out there making minions for God's sake!"

"Look at it this way, love. Anybody stupid enough to be killed by Harmony and become her minion probably needed to be taken out of the gene pool anyway."

"I'm pretty sure there's nothing in the Slayer Handbook that says if vamps only eat stupid people I don't have to slay them," Buffy said as she walked back to him. "But between the ones I beat up on earlier and the three I just got now, I think we're good. Let's go home."

"Am I forgiven for being a wanker then?" He fell into step beside her.

"Depends," she said, remembering what had distracted her before Harmony's voice got her attention and looking at him from the corner of her eye. "Are you going to make it up to me?"

"All night long if needs be," he purred, pulling her into his side.

"Might take that long," she said, even as she leaned into him.

"We should walk faster then."

He took her hand and began tugging her down the street, ignoring her giggles that were interspersed with threats to his body parts if he didn't slow down. She was still giggling as they rounded the corner and approached their door, only to find a big shadow standing up and looming over them.

"Angel?"

"Bloody fuckin' hell."


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE/**

"Buffy? Would you like to tell me what's going on?"

Spike glared back at him. "What's going on is that you're blocking our way into our home and we—"

Buffy's hand on his arm had more of an effect on him than Angel's, "Shut up, Spike. I'll take care of you in a minute", but between the two, he stopped himself before he could say anything he might regret.

Buffy sighed. "I don't know what you're doing here again, Angel. I thought I made myself pretty clear at Thanksgiving."

Angel flinched at the reminder that she'd told him to go home, but continued, "I heard from a demon that your boyfriend's organization was being shut down because of an explosion, and that you were somehow letting the demons loose, or fighting with loose demons? That part wasn't really clear, but he also said something about Spike, so I figured if he was back in Sunnydale he must be part of what's going on and you would need my help."

"I don't need any help with Spike, Angel. I never have."

"And yet here he is, and he's… holding your hand?"

"Crap," Buffy muttered. She glanced up at Spike, who had released her hand but was glaring at Angel over her head. "Stop growling and help me decide what to do. Should we tell him?"

He shook his head. "He didn't know before, love. What if he decides _not_ to send me back because he doesn't want us to be together? Knowing I'm here might affect what he decides to do with me."

"I already know what I'm going to do with you, Spike," Angel snarled, stepping forward and pushing Buffy out of his way. Her disabling kick to his knee prevented him from following through on his obviously lethal intentions toward Spike—who was bouncing on his toes in anticipation. While Angel held his knee and stared at Buffy in shock, she gestured for Spike to unlock the door.

"Let's talk about this inside. Who knows who or what might be watching out here."

When Angel tried to follow them inside, he bounced off the invisible barrier.

"Oops? Sorry, Angel…." Buffy made no attempt to hide her indecision about whether or not to allow him in. To her surprise, it was Spike who spoke up.

"Let him in, love. We can always have Red do a disinvite tomorrow if we think we'll need it."

Angel's face was a study in dismay, shock, and anger that was growing deeper by the second. But Buffy's expression and the way she kept herself between the two vampires made it clear which one's safety was her priority. With a nod, she said, "Come in, Angel. And close the door please before you sit down." She pointed at one of the chairs.

Grumbling to himself, Angel limped to the chair and fell into in, glaring again at Spike, who ignored him and began opening the box containing the microwave.

"Okay," Buffy said, also ignoring Angel for the time being except to be sure she could see if he moved. "If he knows, then he will know when you pop out… but if we're successful, then he won't give me the… and you won't have to…. and then you won't be there anyway. And there won't be any reason to send you…anyplace… even if you are there. Which you won't be, 'cause you'll be with me."

"We don't know that, Slayer. We don't know where either one of us is going to be."

Buffy sighed. "I know, I know. But that's a different thing to worry about. Let me try explaining…." She turned to face Angel who was staring back and forth between them and frowning. He spoke before Buffy could begin her explanation.

"You're different," he said. "Both of you. You," he pointed at Buffy, "aren't anything like the girl I left here last year." He peered at Spike intently, then sniffed and jumped to his feet to get closer. He stared into Spike's expressionless face, concentrating on the eyes that gazed back calmly. "No! It's not possible!"

"'Tis, Peaches. Very possible."

"When… how…. Who cursed you?"

"No curse. Went and got it. Thought I needed it."

"Why?" Genuine bewilderment made Angel shake his head and sink back into the chair. "Why would you do that?"

Spike shrugged and laughed softly. "Why have I ever done anything, Angelus? Did it for love, didn't I? Did it for the girl." There was a tense silence as Angel stared at him and at Buffy, still standing between them protectively. Spike went back to wrestling the microwave from its box and setting it on the counter.

Angel turned his bewildered gaze on Buffy. "I'm assuming you're 'the girl'?"

"Yes," she said softly. "He got it for me. He probably didn't need to, but I never let him know that, so—"

"And you're living together because he got a soul?"

"We're living together because we want to be together, Angel. And we can't be sure how long we'll have to do it, so we didn't want to waste time letting everybody get used to us gradually."

"And we're back to explaining to me what the hell is going on here."

"Do you remember when you wanted to kill yourself? Or me? Because something was speaking to you and you thought it was Ms. Calendar's spirit or something? But it wasn't?"

Angel looked uncomfortably. "Of course I remember it. She was talking to me all the time, trying to make me bite you. I thought killing myself was the only way to save you."

"Well 'she' was the First Evil. That's how it operates—it comes to you looking like someone you trust or know—but only dead people. It can't be somebody who's alive, only somebody who's already dead. Or has been dead…" she added, with a glance at Spike, who nodded in agreement.

"It left when I didn't do what it wanted," Angel said. "And I've never heard or seen it again. So what has that got to do with—"

"We're here—I mean the reason we're working together again, is because we need to prevent the First from coming back when it's really, really powerful and trying to end the world. So we're going to stop that from happening. And that's really all I want to tell you. Can't you just trust us… me?"

"Why would I trust him?" He glared at Spike.

"Because he's got a soul, just like you do. And he's helping me."

"And you aren't going to tell me how all this happened since the last time I saw you… and him?"

"I think we'll all be better off if we don't tell you. Maybe it won't matter, but we can't be sure. And we're trying so hard to be careful, and things like this keep happening, and I don't want to screw it up, and…."

"And you've had all the explanation you're going to get for now," Spike said as Buffy got more and more upset. "If the Slayer thinks you need to know more and it's safe to tell you, she can call you. All you need to know for now is she's safe—from me and anything else. If that changes and we think you can help, we'll let you know."

Angel stood up and glared around the small apartment. The double bed was just visible though the open door of the tiny bedroom and his frown deepened. "Exactly how is he 'helping you' in a one-bedroom apartment?"

"I'm pretty sure that's A – none of your business, and B – you don't want to know." Buffy sighed, knowing she was hurting her first love and wishing she could explain fully. "I told you, Angel, we want to be together as long as we can. If we can stop the First from growing stronger it might… we might not be together anymore. I hope we will. I think we will. But we don't know."

"Well of course you don't know. You can't see the future…." He frowned and thought hard. "Unless you _did_ see the future? Is there a seer in Sunnydale now?"

Buffy and Spike exchanged glances, knowing they'd been given the perfect explanation. "Got it in one, Peaches. A new seer giving us information that might keep bad things from happening. That's the explanation. You can be on your way now. Ciao."

Ignoring Spike, Angel said to Buffy, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm sure, Angel. You should probably leave if you don't want to be outrunning the dawn."

Nostrils flaring, he started to lean toward Buffy, then thought better of it when she stepped back and Spike growled softly. He nodded and opened the door, walking out without looking back or speaking again. When it was closed and locked, Buffy sagged against it.

"Well that was… unexpected. Do you think he bought it?"

Spike shrugged and looked around for someplace to plug in the new oven. "Don't know, love. I think he bought it for now, but the big poof isn't stupid. When he's had time to think back on what we said and didn't say, and to think about it a bit more…. Who knows? Even if he does figure it out, it just makes him less likely to interfere. If he has reason to believe we've known each other longer than he thinks, he might leave us alone. Had to be a bit of a shock to him—finding us all domestic-like when last time he saw us I was crying over Dru and you were still all about lovin' him. Hasn't been as long for him as it has for us."

Buffy peered at him with narrowed eyes. "You're being awfully understanding. Who are you and what have you done with Spike?"

He laughed and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm right here, Buffy. And that's why I can be generous and understanding. I'm here. You're here. We love each other…" He hesitated over that just long enough for Buffy to nod her head and nudge him with her nose. "And we've got a brand new bed and the rest of the night ahead of us. If I got any happier, I might lose _my_ soul."

"Speaking of the bed, if you'll stick one of those frozen sandwiches in the microwave for me, I'll go put the sheets on the bed."

"You've got it, love. One disgusting-looking hot sandwich coming up."

XXXXXXX

A bit later, after Buffy had eaten her dinner and Spike had warmed up and drunk another mug of blood, they smiled across the table at each other.

"Bed time?" Spike asked eagerly.

"Almost. I need to brush my teeth and stuff like that. You go ahead, I'll be right there."

While Buffy rinsed out Spike's mug and her own glass, setting them on the side of the sink to drain, he quickly brushed his own teeth and was lying in bed naked by the time Buffy emerged from the bathroom and hit the light switch.

"We need a lamp for this room," she said as she plunged the room into darkness. "Good thing I can sense vampires or I wouldn't know where you were." She approached the bed cautiously, afraid of hitting her toes on the box spring and holding one hand out in front of her in case she was walking into a wall.

"You're here, love," Spike said, reaching for her hand and guiding her onto the mattress. "I wouldn't let you bump into anything."

She giggled. "I think I just did," she said as he pulled her against his already hard cock. She giggled again when he sucked in his breath as he realized she was also naked.

"Ah, that's my girl." he said, running his hands down her back and cupping her ass. He put his mouth on her neck and began to suck the delicate skin there, groaning as he felt the blood pumping beneath his lips.

Even as she tilted her head to give him better access to her neck, Buffy whispered, "You know this should be scary, right? A vampire moaning and sucking on my neck."

"Done it before," he stopped to mumble. "Didn't hurt you then, did I? No more than you wanted me to, anyway."

There was a pause as they both thought back to two years before when they'd indulged in such violent sexual acts that either one of them was likely to be bruised and bleeding when they were done. He lifted his head away as if trying to read her face in the darkness. "If it reminds you of something you'd rather not remember—"

"No. It's fine. It's so fine I let Harmony of all people sneak up on us when you were doing it earlier." She nibbled on his ear lobe and wriggled against him. "I like it… which probably says something scary about me, now that I think about it."

"I think it says we were made for each other. I love putting my mouth on you, and you like it. Doesn't get any better than that."

"Really? Are you sure about that?" Buffy let her legs slide apart so his cock was caught between her thighs. "Cause I'm pretty sure it _can_ get better…."

She rubbed herself on him, causing him to completely forget about her neck and grab her hips, lifting her up and onto his now well-lubricated erection. He sighed with relief, then groaned, as with a matching sigh, she settled onto him and sat up, bracing herself with her hands on his chest.

"I stand corrected," he said, holding her hips in place and arching his back. Buffy clamped her internal muscles around him and threw her head back, whimpering as she found herself on the verge of orgasm already. "Let yourself go, sweetheart. I've got you," Spike said as she tried to move around to get the friction she wanted. He put a thumb on her clit and, with the other hand still holding her down against him tightly, he began to rub in circles until she was arching her back and crying his name.

She fell forward onto his chest and tried to catch her breath. "Much better," she mumbled, feeling his chest shake as he chuckled.

"That it is. But we're not half done yet." He rolled them over and leaned down to kiss her. Buffy's legs went around his back and she held him in place while they kissed until she was breathing hard again and her hips were moving under him. He pulled his mouth away and pushed his upper body up so he could see her face as he began to increase the speed and power of his thrusts.

"No fair, you can see me and I can't see you," Buffy gasped, even though she knew her eyes were closed.

"I'll buy you a lamp," he promised. "Tomorrow. Tonight, I'm just a mysterious stranger who is making love to you in the dark."

"Oooh, I think I like that. Mysterious stranger, huh? I wonder if the stranger would like it if I—ahh! I guess he did. How about if I…." She leaned up and grabbed one of his nipples in her teeth, having no trouble finding it in the dark.

His growl sounded nothing like an angry vampire, and everything like one that was enjoying her actions. She nibbled and sucked on one nipple, then the other, before dropping her head back to the bed and waiting for him to follow it down. Which he did, fastening his lips on her neck again and sucking hard while his hips churned against her.

When she began to shatter around him, emitting small shrieks of pleasure, he let himself go, giving several powerful thrusts and pulling so hard on the skin of her throat that he felt it burst open and her blood coat his tongue. Too far gone in his orgasm to stop, he kept his mouth there until they both relaxed onto the bed.

"Wowie, wow," Buffy gasped. "And ow?"

"Sorry, love. I sucked so hard I broke the skin. It's just like a little burst blister. I'll get you some ointment for it as soon as I can walk again."

Buffy huffed her appreciation and agreement for that problem as he rolled off and pulled her close. Buffy threw one leg over his and rested her head on his chest.

"So you didn't bite me?"

"No!" He sounded horrified. "I just sucked so hard I broke the skin. Didn't mean to, and it's already healing. I'm sorry."

"No biggie," she said. "I can't even feel it anymore, and given what accompanied it… might be worth giving up a few drops of blood."

"Don't joke about that, Buffy. You don't know how hard it was—is— to keep my teeth off you."

"How come you never bit me back when we…? I was always bleeding from something or other—and so were you. I know you licked me when you thought I was asleep, but you could have bitten me any time. The chip didn't care what you did to me."

" _I_ cared," he said. "Knew you didn't love me and you wouldn't understand what an exchange of blood means to a vamp. Even if you didn't stake me for it, it wouldn't have meant the same thing to you it did to me. I didn't want to take it from you that way. Couldn't resist the little licks to clean up your scratches, but would never have bitten you."

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended." When she felt him flinch, she explained. "Flattered that you wanted to, or offended that you could resist me."

"I love you, Buffy. Love you now with my soul, and I loved you then without it. Either way, I would never have taken advantage of what you were already giving of yourself to take more. And I knew better than to ask for it." His tone indicated he was angry and hurt that he'd needed to explain that to her.

Spike's arm that had been holding her close relaxed and dropped to the mattress. He didn't exactly push her away, but she was suddenly cuddled up to a dead man. With a sigh, she rolled off and lay beside, but not touching him.

"This is going to take us awhile, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"Getting used to trusting each other. I mean, we've always trusted each other in a fight. To have each other's back and to be there when we need— But trusting each other with our… feelings… with our hearts."

Rather than her words making things better, Buffy could sense him shift slightly away from her. She felt her anger flare, then sighed and admitted she knew what he was reacting to. "Okay. _My_ heart has always been safe with you. I know that. Even when it wasn't yours to worry about, you tried not to hurt me. And I… I didn't admit it when you did have it, so… you had no reason to think you _could_ hurt it."

"What are you trying, in such spectacularly inept fashion, to say, Slayer?"

She sighed again. "I guess what I'm saying is, _you're_ going to have to get used to trusting _me_. That if I hurt you with something I do or say, it's an accident. I don't want to hurt you. I'm just not very good at not doing it yet. And when you're talking about something I don't know anything about… How was I supposed to know that not biting me was because you loved me, not because you were afraid I'd stake you?"

He was quiet for a moment, then rolled to face her. She couldn't see his face, but she felt him touch her cheek gently.

"You're right, love. I'm an insecure wanker and I was expecting you to understand things I never taught you. Forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive. I just want you to give me the benefit of the doubt. If I hurt you, it's because I'm being dumb Buffy, or self-absorbed Buffy, not because I don't love you and don't care about your feelings."

"You're not dumb, sweetheart. And if anybody has a right to be a little self-absorbed sometimes, it would the one girl in all the world who has to save it every spring, even if it kills her. As long as she loves me, that's all that matters to me."

"She does, you know. i do. And if I didn't have to be up early enough to get some stuff done tomorrow, I'd spend the rest of the night proving it to you." She kissed him, then reached for the duvet and curled up to sleep.

He chuckled softly and wrapped one arm around her body, spooning her from behind. "Good night, my love. Sleep well."


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

Buffy was up earlier than she wanted to be, the sound of trash trucks in the alley having waked her. Spike had his pillow over his head and clearly had no plans to wake up at what was close to a vampire's bedtime. She showered, got dressed, had some dry cereal, made a mental note to buy milk, and left to see if she could catch Willow at the dorm. She patted her pocket to make sure she had both her phone and Willow's letter.

She took her time strolling to the campus, knowing there were no classes until the following week. The official explanation for classes being cancelled was a machinery malfunction that had made it necessary to keep the classroom areas unoccupied until repairs could be made and until any signs of the explosion and fire had been cleaned up.

When she reached their floor of the dorm, she found Willow just coming back from the bathrooms.

"Hey." Willow seemed happier to see her than Buffy had expected. "You didn't make it back last night, huh?"

"Uh, no. I was gonna tell you but with Tara there…."

"Yeah. I… I… um… really like her." She paused and stared at Buffy. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Buffy couldn't tell if there was an edge to Willow's voice or not as she acknowledged Buffy's superior knowledge about her future.

"Well, you did in our time, but since things are different now I wasn't sure. I mean, you weren't likely to _not_ like her, 'cause she's Tara and everybody does, but I'm glad you two hit it off." Buffy gave her a smile as they entered their room. "And I have something for you." Buffy held out the envelope.

"What's this?" Willow frowned at it. "Is that my handwriting? Is this from me?"

"Yes. Winston had two letters—one for you from future you, and one for Giles from future Giles."

"Why didn't future me and Giles just give them to you?" Willow eyed it with suspicion.

"Something that changed right away—when Spike and I first got here—changed the timeline enough for Winston to be at the Council and be sent back with the letters. He wasn't there when I got sent back."

"Do you trust him?" Willow asked as she opened the envelope and pulled out the folded paper as if it might bite her.

Buffy shrugged. "As much as I trust anybody I just met and never heard of before."

"Seems like a lot of trouble to go to just so Giles and I could send letters to ourselves."

"I think there might be other reasons he's here. Some of them related to helping us with Glory, and something else that Spike and I have to do that we don't know about yet."

Willow sank down on her bed and began to read her letter. Unlike the few paragraphs Giles had sent to himself, Willow's missive was two typed pages on computer paper. While Willow was reading, Buffy went to her drawers and tried to decide what clothes to keep where.

"Here, the apartment, the crypt and mom's – I'm not sure I own that many outfits," she muttered to herself. Deciding that she was ultimately more likely to be on campus or at her mom's often enough to change clothes or grab more, she pulled out just enough to be sure she had one pair of jeans, one or two clean shirts and underwear and socks at both the apartment and the crypt. As she was looking around for a bag of some sort in which to put them, she noticed Willow had stopped reading and was staring at her.

"What?"

"Why didn't you just tell me this?" Willow said, waving the paper around. "Did you think I wouldn't listen?" Her voice was shrill.

Buffy bit her tongue to keep from reminding Willow that she hadn't wanted to hear any advice from any of them.

"I don't know what ' _this_ ' is, Willow. The you who wrote that isn't the future you I know. She's had a different life in some way or ways. I don't have any idea what that letter says because I wasn't there when it was written and I don't know what happened. All I know is, something changed after we got here." She waited for a few seconds and when Willow didn't respond, she put the clothes down and walked over to sit on the bed. She frowned at the expression on Willow's face.

"Are you all right? What does it say?"

"Gefilte Fish"

Buffy flinched away, her frown deepening. "Wills?"

Staring at Buffy, Willow said "The My Will Be Done Spell is over. I end it. Now I end it. No more Willow's willing from this girl. Nope. Done. Over."

"Wow. Is that it? Can you tell if it's over?"

"Gefilte Fish" Willow looked around the room and said, "Your bed is gone." Buffy yelped, then relaxed as her bed and the clothes on it remained fixed to the floor.

"That must have been some letter…."

Willow ignored Buffy's strong hint to share with her, just falling back on her bed and clutching the letter to her chest. "I need to talk to Winston."

Buffy blinked her surprise, then said, "I don't know how to find him, but Giles probably does. Maybe he stayed there last night. They looked pretty settled in with their booze and Council talk."

"I need to find him," Willow repeated. She fixed Buffy with a sad gaze. "Just so you know, if you and Spike screw up and you die next year, I'm not bringing you back. You're going to have to stay dead."

Buffy nodded. "We know that. So far, since I've been around to be sent back in both my time and Winston's, that hasn't changed. But if it does… I don't want you to bring me back."

"And Spike will try to stop me if I try…."

Buffy nodded. "He will." She walked over to Willow's bed and sat beside her, stroking the hair off her face. "Thank you for breaking that spell."

Willow grimaced. "Well, there's nothing like having my future self tell me, in impressively scary detail, how much trouble I've caused by having it in place to make it sound like the worst idea ever." She raised damp eyes to Buffy and sat up. "I never meant to hurt anybody."

Buffy put her arms around Willow and hugged her tightly. "I know that, Wills. We all know that. You were hurting and we weren't there for you the way we should have been. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't know—"

"That I was pulling power from the hellmouth?" Willow gave Buffy a wry smile as they separated. "You're right. I didn't know. But I didn't care where it was coming from, either, I thought it was all me. Something Tara said when she was explaining earth magic last night kinda…. Well, it made me think about where magic comes from a little more. But this…" She waved the paper around, "…this explains just exactly how badly it could go. Or did go, I guess." She shuddered, still clutching her letter.

"So, can I call Giles and tell him the spell isn't in effect anymore and he can relax? And I'll ask him where Winston is."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell everybody Willow's safe to be around again." She set her face in stern lines. "But I'm not giving up magic!" she said firmly. "I'm just going to learn to do it safely."

"That's all anybody wants from you," Buffy said, beaming at her. "I know _I_ don't want to have to do without your magic. You help me a lot next year."

"Okay. Make your phone calls. I'm going to get dressed and meet Tara for brunch." She glanced at Buffy's expression and said, "Quit smirking, missy. I already told you I really like her."

"Not saying a word," Buffy laughed as she pulled out her new cell phone.

XXXXX

When Buffy had assured Giles that the spell was gone, and that Willow wanted to talk with Winston, she put the phone away and picked up her small pile of extra clothes.

"Giles says he doesn't know exactly where Winston is right now, but he'll try to find him. If nothing else, you can see him at tonight's Scooby meeting and set up a time to talk."

"Okay. At some point, I may want to bring Tara along to Scooby meetings. I mean she knows a lot of… stuff. Not just magic, but she knows about vamps and demons, and I told her a little bit about you. But I don't want to bring her around everybody until I know her a little better and she's had a chance to absorb more about us."

"That's probably a good plan. Take your time and get to know each other. With Adam gone, I'm hoping for a fairly quiet rest of the year. I'll have to watch out for Faith, and Giles will be looking for Ethan, but as soon as I've taken care of the Gentlemen…. Oh!" Buffy's eyes got big.

"Oh?"

"It's probably nothing. It's just that that's when you actually started getting to know Tara. I think the two of you worked together to do some magic on a coke machine or something when you were hiding from the Gentlemen or their minions. I don't think it matters that you've started being friends a little earlier, but…."

"But if it took two of us to stay safe, we might be in danger alone."

Buffy nodded. "It happens when Olivia gets here to stay with Giles, so maybe by then Tara will trust you enough to believe you when you say you need to stay together for a few nights."

"Yeah, I guess I don't want to tell her I know because you're from the future." She sighed. "What are you going to do about Xander… and Anya?"

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't want to tell anybody, but then I had to tell Giles, and then I had to tell you and Mom…. I guess I'll just have to see how hard it gets to be, keeping it a secret and coming up with explanations for things. Like Spike. How the hell am I going to explain Spike? I don't even have your spell where we thought we were getting married to blame it on."

"Yeah. Good luck with that." Willow made a face. "On the other hand, it'll soften him up for when I introduce Tara as my…."

"Already?"

"No. No. Of course not. We're just getting to know each other. But future me told me about her, so sooner or later, I guess…." Willow shrugged. "I'm still getting used to the idea, but I can see why I might…."

"Well don't push it just because you know it happened in other time lines."

Willow nodded. "Yeah. I'm not in a hurry. Still seems like it will be weird, you know?"

Buffy nodded and they walked out of the building together – going off in different directions.

 **XXXXXXX**

As they rode toward Giles's apartment, Buffy was uncharacteristically quiet. Before she opened her door to get out, Spike reached over and touched her arm.

"What are you worried about, pet?"

"Oh… I don't know. Everything? Xander's going to go ape shit when he realizes we're living together, and there's really no way to explain it without telling him what I really don't think anybody else needs to know. And he hasn't even been around for all the Adam stuff, so he doesn't know about Willow's spell or why she decided to break it. There's just going to be all this stuff we need to talk about, and we can't do it in front of Xander and Anya, and—"

"And we'll deal with it if and when we need to. Old Rupert's pretty quick on his feet, and so, I'm guessing is Winnie the Warlock. Let them take the lead and see what they come up with."

"Have I mentioned how much I hate it when you make sense?" She opened her door and got out.

He was laughing as he got out of his side. "Doesn't happen all that often, does it, love?"

"Fortunately, no."

They were both laughing as they entered the apartment, sending Xander scampering behind the couch and holding up a cross. "Holy Batman, Giles. The bleached bloodsucker is loose!"

"It's fine, Xander, remember he's harmless now." Buffy tried to seem only appropriately unconcerned about the vampire she could feel right behind her.

"Then why is he here? And why is he standing so close to you? Did you tell him he has to stay within staking distance?"

Buffy sighed and shook her head. She glanced at Giles. "Help?"

He shrugged and said, "I'll see what I can do." Turning to Xander, he said, "Spike has agreed to help us with… with whatever else comes up this year. He and Buffy have formed another truce, as they did some time ago when he assisted her against Angelus."

"Help? _We're_ her help. You, me, Willow… _we're_ the Scoobies. We don't need another bloodsucker in the gang. Look what happened last time."

Buffy was spared having to respond when Willow entered, followed by Winston. She raised her eyebrows, but Willow shook her head.

"We just happened to be walking up to the door at the same time, but we're going to talk later."

"Oh. Okay, well good." Buffy glanced at Winston. "Did she tell you—"

"Rupert shared it with me. I've already told her I think she's made an excellent decision."

Xander waved his hand around, ignoring Anya who was tugging on his arm and telling him to sit down.

"What decision? And who are you? Have I landed in some alternate dimension where everybody's talking about things I don't understand, and vampires are allowed to be Scoobies, and now some strange British guy is telling my best friend she's made a good decision and I have no idea what he's talking about?"

Giles sighed and glared at Xander.

"Winston, this over-excited young man is Buffy and Willow's friend Xander. The young lady with him is Anya, a former vengeance demon but now one of our little group of fighters against evil." Ignoring Anya's gasp, he waited for that information to sink in before continuing. "Xander and Anya, this is Winston…Smyth. Winston is from the coven that assists the Council from time to time. He was here to supervise the authorities' takeover of the Initiative and to assist Buffy if she needed it."

Anya gave Winston a suspicious glare and a wave. "Giles, why did you tell him what I was? I'm just a normal human woman now. That wasn't necessary!"

"I felt that with Winston's knowledge of the supernatural and his possible stay in Sunnydale for some time, there was no reason for him not to know as much as possible about the people with whom he may be working."

Winston went over to Anya and gazed into her still-suspicious eyes. He smiled and said, "I am so pleased to meet you. I've been looking forward to it for some time."

Anya simpered and seemed to completely forget that she didn't trust him. Nor did she question how someone new to Sunnydale could have been looking forward to meeting her. She held out her hand and Winston took it in both of his. "I am hoping we will be great friends," he said.

"Enough with the smarmy British charm," Xander said, pulling Anya back to his side.

"Of course," Winston said smoothly. "I hope we will be great friends also, Mr. Harris. I'm quite interested in hearing more about the exploits of Xander Harris, ordinary human who fights at the Slayer's side and whose best friend is a powerful witch. I'm sure you have exciting stories to tell."

Xander blinked at him in surprise, his belligerent posture relaxing immediately. He flushed as he mumbled something about, "just helping out my friend Buffy."

"Wow," Buffy whispered to Giles. "Did you know he could do that?"

"Do what? Behave like a proper English gentleman? Why wouldn't he?"

"Bollocks," Spike added in a quieter tone. "I _was_ a proper English gentleman, and on my best day I could never finesse a situation like that."

Giles shot Spike an astonished glance, but before he could follow up on the English gentleman comment, Willow joined them and added her assessment.

"Gentleman, shmentleman, that's magic at work."

"It may seem so, but trust me, it's what good manners and a non-confrontational attitude can do." Giles gave Buffy and Spike a look that managed to seem casual and very pointed at the same time.

Buffy rolled her eyes, but Spike just grinned. "We don't do non-confrontational, do we, pet?"

"Speak for yourself, Spike," Buffy huffed, but she was smiling.

Giles sighed his defeat, saying, "What do you say we bring Xander and Anya up to speed on what has happened recently—in terms of Willow's brilliant idea for bringing down a potential danger and the success she had," he added quickly.

"Right. We should do that. Let's do that." Buffy nodded her head and, without thinking, sank onto the arm of the chair Spike had already settled into. When Giles cleared his throat, and Xander appeared about to choke, she remembered that none of the people in this room had ever seen the two of them cuddling in the big chair for hours. She jumped up just as Spike started to slip his arm around her waist. "Oops! Silly me. I didn't see Spike sitting there." She sent him a glare for his growl and an apologetic shrug as she pulled one of the side chairs up beside him.

When everyone was seated, Giles asked Willow, "Would you like to tell your story, or shall Buffy or I do it?"

"I… I think I can do it without…. Yeah, I'll do it." She smiled at Buffy. "You'll stop me if I… uh… leave something out or maybe say too much?"

Buffy nodded. "It was your brilliant idea and you did it, so go for it. I trust you."

Xander was again wearing the "I've got no idea what's going on and I don't like it" expression he'd had on ever since Buffy and Spike walked in the door. Anya, however, was gazing quietly at everyone, her eyes passing over each person in turn. Buffy could almost see the wheels turning in her head. She knew that despite human Anya's apparent ignorance in many everyday situations, she was also a thousand years old and capable of being very shrewd when it came to judging people. It occurred to Buffy that time-travel might well be something a former vengeance demon would be quite knowledgeable about.

"Okay," Willow began. "So, you know I was really unhappy about Oz being gone, and nobody really paying attention to how much I needed my friends to be there for me—right?"

Xander gave a guilty nod while Anya just rolled her eyes.

Willow glared at Anya, then continued. "Well, I looked up this spell and…."

When Willow had finished her tale of how she used the spell's power to destroy what they knew was a potentially dangerous cyborg, she paused and took a deep breath. Buffy smiled at her and Spike gave her a thumbs up for the way she'd managed not to dwell on exactly _how_ Buffy knew what was going on under Lowell House, letting Xander assume it was something she'd learned from Riley.

"Wow," Xander said. "All that happened just since Thanksgiving?"

"Yep. We found out about a problem and fixed it, all in a couple of days."

"Wow, Willow. I'm impressed."

"My Will Be Done spells can be very dangerous," Anya said, staring not at Willow, but at Buffy. "Bad things can happen accidentally."

Willow glared at Anya—making Buffy very grateful the spell had been broken—before saying through gritted teeth, "Of course they can. I knew that. That's why I ended the spell as soon as I didn't need it anymore."

Before there could be anything more said, Winston stepped in. "That someone of Willow's youth could work a spell like that, and know when it was time to end it, is most impressive. I'm looking forward to working with—getting to know her better in the future."

"Oh right," Xander said. "The G-man said you're a whatchamacallem warlock?"

Winston smiled. "We don't use that term. Just think of me as someone who has some magical experience and ability."

Xander stared around the room. "Looks like you and me are the only regular humans here, Anya. And I still don't get why the bloodsucker is here."

"He's here because I want him here, Xander. He's going to help me."

"Backup muscle, huh?" Xander studied the vampire who was sitting quietly, playing with his Zippo as he waited. "I guess that makes sense. With Deadboy gone to LA, I guess the Buffster could use another fangy helper sometimes." He sneered at Spike. "At least she won't fall in love with this one. Right, Buffy?"

Before anyone could fill the uncomfortable silence, the shrill ringing of the phone gave Giles an excuse to ask for quiet as he picked it up. "Yes, yes, that will be fine. I'll meet you at the airport." He smiled. "As am I. It will be wonderful to see you again." He hung up and said to Buffy, "Olivia will be here late morning tomorrow."

Buffy nodded. "Okay, so tomorrow night then." She glanced at Xander and Anya, but decided against warning them as they'd been perfectly safe in her time. Willow nodded at Buffy and made the okay sign with her fingers.

Anya and Xander wore matching frowns as once again it seemed everyone except them was communicating about something. He pulled Anya to her feet, saying, "If we're all done being mysterious here, I think we'll just take ourselves home where the only things we don't know are which of my parents will pass out first."

He stopped at the door. "Do you need a ride, Willow?"

"Oh, thanks, but no. I have stuff to talk to Winston about. Boring magical stuff. You guys go on without me."

"Right. Boring magical stuff." He yanked Anya out the door, ignoring her yelp of protest.


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

"Crap," Buffy muttered. "This isn't working out."

Willow sighed her agreement. "Nope. Xander's feeling left out and hurt, and Anya looks like she's trying to figure out what's going on. This can't end well."

There was silence as everyone tried not to be the first to say it. Never one to shirk a chance to tell the truth, Spike said, "The question is, which would make Harris the least dangerous? Knowing what's what, so he stops being all offended that he's not in the know, or leaving him in the dark to get more and more brassed off at all of us?"

"Spike, you talk about Xander likes he's some kind of… of…."

"Loose cannon?" Spike said, then sighed. "Boy's loyal, I know that. And he wants to help. But this year, in our time, he was already feeling a bit neglected and out of your lives—what with the two of you off being all co-ed-like and makin' new friends and… other friends…." He paused to give Buffy the obligatory growl about Riley, then continued. "I remember I was able to use that back when I—"

Buffy's painful grip on his arm stopped him before he could finish. She really didn't want Giles and Willow hearing how Spike had almost succeeded in driving a wedge between the Scoobies. The less they knew about the evil things he'd done in their time, the easier it would be for her to convince them he was really one of them now.

He cleared his throat and concluded, "Well, that's neither here nor there. Point is, he's already feelin' insecure about his place, and we didn't do such a bang up job of hiding that we have secrets."

Giving Giles a look to remind him what he'd said about Spike having a good brain, Winston said, "I agree with William—Spike. Unless there is some reason to be concerned that Mr. Harris will attempt to change the future on purpose, I suspect he will be more cooperative if he feels he is part of the group."

"Not to mention, Anya looks like she's trying to figure it out. She knows something's up. I could tell." Buffy glanced at Giles. "Would a vengeance demon know anything about time travel?"

Giles gasped in spite of himself, sharing a look with Winston, who seemed equally surprised. "Of course she would! How did I—we—overlook that? She may have valuable information to share with us."

"And we can't bring Anya in without including Xander. She's really only here because she's dating him. She has no other reason to hang out with us," Willow said. "I mean, she wasn't too crazy about any of us when she first lost her powers. She thought we might have had something to do with losing her amulet."

Winston turned a curious gaze on Giles, who coughed and cleared his throat before answering. "I… um… I suppose that is quite true. I wasn't particularly welcoming. Although, in my defense, she appears, from what you and she saw later, to have wreaked a terrible vengeance upon all of us by granting a wish for Cordelia. She has not been very forthcoming about how that may have worked out, but she seems quite proud of her former skills at granting vengeances, so…." He trailed off, frowning. "I wonder if she remembers what she did?"

"She knows it was her amulet that gave her demonic powers. And that somehow she lost it while trying to grant Cordelia's vengeance." Willow looked momentarily guilty as she recalled her own role in causing Cordelia's anger. "But it all worked out, right? She's with Xander and she doesn't miss being a vengeance demon… not much, anyway."

"Well, I see that we will need to bring her into the fold, so to speak. She may be very helpful to us." Winston paused and looked at Buffy and Spike. "If the two of you agree, of course. It is your secret to share."

Now that Xander was no longer there to be angered by it, Buffy allowed herself to move back to the arm of Spike's chair and relax into him when he put his arm around her waist.

"What do you think?" They exchanged mostly silent communication while the others in the room waited. After they'd looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, Buffy nodded and turned back to the people watching.

"I think we're going to have to do it. We need Anya's input—if she has any. And we can't include her without Xander. It might help him be a little less… confused about Spike and me, too."

"Don't think 'confused' is the word you're looking for, pet," Spike growled. "You know he never accepted me in your life, even after I got the soul."

"Well, he's got more time to get used to it now. He might not like it, but he's just going to have to suck it up."

"Please be sure to share that with him when you tell him," Giles said in a wry tone. "I've no doubt it will go over well."

"Don't be negative, Giles," Willow sniffed. "I'm sure Xander will be fine once he understands the situation. I am."

"Not to dispute your assessment, Red, but you've never had the hots for Buffy." Spike paused and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Have you?"

"What! No! Don't be—" Obviously remembering that Spike knew about her and her other relationships, she settled for mumbling, "Buffy is my best friend. That's all." Then she glanced at Buffy and said quickly, "Not that you aren't attractive, but I wouldn't, I mean I nev—"

Buffy laughed while the men tried to hide smiles. "It's okay, Willow. I know what you're saying. Spike was just trying to rattle your cage." Her relief at seeing Willow so much back to her normal trying-to-please-everyone-self caused Buffy to jump up and give her bewildered friend a hug.

 **XXXXX**

After leaving Willow to talk with Winston about her letter to herself, Buffy and Spike took his car to Restfield and hid it in what would become its normal place.

"You don't want to keep it at the apartment?"

"Nah. It's too well known in the demon community, and I don't want to leave it on the street anyway. If and when we need it for something, it won't take long to pick it up here."

"'K. I guess as long as we're here, we might as well do a patrol. Maybe check out this cemetery and then hit one or two more on the way to the Bronze? You can get something to drink and I can get some real food."

"You're singing my song, love. Do you want to start with that one?" He pointed to a grave with a hand sticking out and scrabbling for something to hold onto.

They strolled over and watched with mild interest as the new vampire dragged himself the rest of the way out of the dirt. Buffy shuddered and clutched her arms around herself as she watched him spitting out dirt and trying to clear it from his eyes.

"Not gonna happen this time around, Buffy." Spike's soft words indicated he'd correctly read what she was thinking. "You have my word."

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "I know. I'm okay. Better than this guy will be," she added, leaning over to drive her stake into his chest. His dust settled down on the loose dirt as if he'd never been there.

"I changed my mind about patrol. Let's just head for the Bronze. I have to fight funny looking minions and ugly heart-stealing i _gentlemen/i_ tomorrow night, so tonight I'm taking a break."

"No argument from me," Spike said taking her hand. "The Bronze it is."

 **XXXXX**

While Spike made his way through several mugs of beer and tapped his fingers along with the music playing in the background, Buffy polished off two, admittedly small, cheeseburgers, her fries (those Spike didn't steal), and a large Diet Coke. When she'd finished licking the last of the salt from the fries off her fingers, she looked up to see Spike gazing at her with fond amusement.

"What?"

"Nothing, love. Just like seeing you tuck into your food like that. Always hated it when you pretended you were existing on yogurt and rabbit food."

"I was watching my weight," she muttered. "Anyway, you didn't see me when I was putting away ice cream every night."

"I saw you when you were much too thin," he said. "If I'd thought I could get away with it, I would have tried to make you eat more real food back in the day. Fatten you up a bit."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. "You wanted me to be _fat?_ "

"I wanted you to be healthy and happy. And being as thin as you were then wasn't making you either one of those things."

"You want me to be fat," she grumbled. "That's what you're trying to say."

Spike sighed and shook his head. "Never seen a fat slayer. Not in all my years as a vamp. You lot must burn up calories faster than you can take them in. I just don't like seeing you look all worn down like you were by the time we closed the hellmouth, and now you don't look like that anymore. I like it."

He wriggled his eyebrows at her. "Although, trust me, love, to a man from my time, you could gain another twenty pounds and you'd still be sexy."

"Twenty _pounds!"_ Buffy's eyes almost bulged from her head.

"Not saying you _should_ do it, Slayer. You probably couldn't if you tried. Just saying, in my day as a human, plump was pretty."

"In your day they didn't have deodorant or indoor plumbing," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Did too, if you were rich enough. Just not quite as efficient as what we have now." He leered at her. "There's a lot to be said for showers that can hold two people at the same time."

"That sounds like a cue to go home… although I had a shower this morning, so I don't really—"

Spike was already on his feet, waiting less than patiently for her to join him.

"You look dirty to me," he said. "Let's get you home and scrubbed down… or up. Whichever you prefer."

"Hmmmm," she said as she rose to her feet. "Which do I prefer? Let me think about this…"

As they walked to the door, Buffy spotted Jonathan Levinson lurking near the bar. "Hold on a sec," she said, walking up to him.

"Hi, Jonathan. I've got a suggestion for you—forget about the spell to make yourself the big cheese in Sunnydale. It's going to backfire big time and I'll have to save your ass. So just don't do it, okay? You're a smart guy and I know you're going to be successful someday. Maybe in the entertainment industry… You don't need to cheat to do it."

Jonathan gaped at her. "How did you…. I would never... I mean, yeah, I thought about it, but—"

"Just take that imagination and write stories. But don't make innocent people have to live one of them. 'K? Thanks. Good night!"

Spike was chuckling when she joined him. "I'd almost forgotten that little twerp's adventure into being a big shot. Think that'll stop him?"

"I hope so. He's really kind of a nice guy… except for that whole hooking up with Warren thing in a few years…. I forgot about that."

"Ended up dead eventually, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Willow tried to kill him… and Andrew… when she was out to avenge Tara, but it was Andrew who actually killed him after they escaped to Mexico. The First convinced him he was Warren come back to tell him what to do." Buffy shook her head. "Just one of the people who died because of my resurrection."

"Not going to happen this time, love. Hey! I wonder if that's going to change Andrew's career plan? He won't have a reason to turn all evil… and then to crawl back to you looking for forgiveness. So – no hanging out with the Slayerettes, no watcher wannabe for the little twit."

"Just cause I don't die doesn't mean Warren isn't going to try for a nerd takeover of Sunnydale. I think it's early next year that he makes that poor robot who thought he loved her… until he didn't want her anymore. He was already a sleazeball then."

She glanced sideways at Spike to see if he was going to acknowledge his own venture into sleaziness, but he wisely kept silent and avoided meeting her gaze. She settled for punching him on the arm, well aware that he would know why.

He chuckled as he rubbed his arm before putting it around her. "Knew I wasn't going to get away with ignoring that," he said, leaning down to nibble on her ear. "But think about it, love. If you hadn't had a robot to imitate, I probably would have dusted and you never would have known that you could trust me to keep quiet about the bit."

"So you're saying it was a good idea because it worked out okay for you in the long run?" Her words were belied by the way she leaned into him and he just laughed softly again. He squeezed her shoulders, then released her and stepped away.

"What's wrong?"

"Not sure." He frowned and sniffed the air. "Just doesn't feel like we're alone…"

Buffy didn't question him, just sent her own senses out as she readied herself for any nasty surprises. She relaxed as Riley came striding toward them.

"What's up, Riley?"

"Yeah Captain America. You look like man on a mission."

"You might say that, _Spike._ Or should I say William the Bloody, _slayer of slayers_. He shifted his gaze to Buffy. "I'm not sure what that makes you. Obviously, if Xander knows what he is, you do too. What I don't understand is why you haven't staked him."

"It's… complicated. And it involves things Xander doesn't know about yet." She frowned. "Not that he should be talking to you about Scooby stuff…"

"Scooby?"

"You had to be there," Spike snorted. "When they were high school teenyboppers in white hats."

"Which was just last year, wasn't it?"

"Right!" Buffy said, nudging Spike. "Last year, when we were seniors in high school. But we've been the Scoobies since 10th grade. You know – Scooby-doo, brainy redhead, shaggy-haired boy—"

"Ditsy blonde bint…."

"Big, stupid dog… that never bites anybody…." Buffy glared at Spike, hands on hips.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Riley rolled his eyes. "But according to Xander, Spike here, hasn't been part of your little gang of demon fighters, in fact, he was one of your most vicious opponents until…." Riley frowned at Spike again. "He says you can't bite because we… but I've never seen you in the lab—not until you came in with Buffy to help ID the demons…."

Buffy froze. She was sure her eyes were open so wide they might fall out, but she couldn't come up with an explanation and she could see Riley fingering his taser.

"The boy doesn't know as much as he thinks he knows," Spike said, his tone and word choices making it clear what he thought of Xander. "And he's not doing the Slayer any favors by discussin' her business with people it doesn't concern."

"If you're really a vampire…" Riley frowned, clearly remembering he'd seen Spike walking around in daylight. "But if you aren't, why would Xander say so? And why would he think I needed to know?"

"Like I said, he's not as smart as he wants to be, so he's taking shots in the dark and hoping he'll hit something big. We're going to straighten him out tomorrow night."

"I'd like to be at that meeting," Riley said stiffly. "They may have shut down our lab, but as far as I know, we still have a mission to keep Sunnydale safe from hostiles and sub-terrestrials. If that includes you, I need to know."

Recovering her voice, Buffy said, as gently as she could, "You really don't, Riley. All you need to know is that Spike is perfectly safe to be around, and that he works with me to keep the world safe—from _anything_ that could be dangerous, not just vamps and demons. What he is and how he does that just aren't important for you to know." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, before turning to leave.

"Go home and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow might be busy."

Without offering more of an explanation, she began to walk at a brisk pace with Spike taking long strides beside her. Riley watched them go, shaking his head as they quickly disappeared without seeming to hurry.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

"It's alright if I kick Harris's arse, isn't? If I promise not to bite him or kill him?"

Buffy sighed and shook her head. "I get that feeling. I really do. But the best thing we can do is let Xander in on the truth and hope he can come up with something believable to tell Riley about you."

"He's not going to do that, love. You know it, and I know it. I'm not sayin' he isn't going to be sorry he stirred that pot, but I don't see him trying to pretend he didn't tell the big lump that I'm a vamp. And he's going to figure out why I can walk in the sun as soon as he remembers that you kept this ring." Spike waved his hand at her, the gem sparkling in the light from a nearby street lamp.

"Well, we've got to find some way to get him on our side. Maybe if we tell him Anya will be killed if we have to fight the First…."

He just stared at her until she dropped her gaze. "Okay. Maybe not. But if we can get him to understand…"

"Let's worry about it tomorrow, yeah? Tonight I promised to give you a good scrubbing... all over…." He gestured to their door and put his key in the lock.

Buffy ducked under this arm to enter the dark apartment, hitting the light switch to turn on their only lamp.

"I think we need more furniture," she said, looking around the rather bare room. "Since mom knows we're going to be living together, and Giles knows, and Willow doesn't care… I think we might as well live here for real."

"It isn't real now?"

"Well, at first I kinda thought it was just going to be a place for us to… you know… have some alone time in something that wasn't a big grave. But I don't see why it can't be a real home. Do you?"

"I'm happy wherever you're happy, love. You know that," he said as he nudged her toward the bedroom and began removing her clothes. "If you want to make this our home for the foreseeable future, I'm fine with that. The crypt will always be there when we need a bolthole. As long as you're at your mum's often enough for her not to hate me for taking you away."

"Hmmmm," she murmured, helping him out of his shirt and licking one of his nipples to a small peak. "I think I can do that. I'll just have to keep reminding her that I'm older than she thinks I am, so she doesn't think you've corrupted her baby girl."

"I have every intention of corrupting her baby girl," he said, lifting her up to wrap her legs around him. "Starting right now."

He walked to the bathroom and started the shower, confident her hold on him would mean he could let go long enough to turn on the water and adjust the temperature. Renewing his grip on her hips, he stepped into the tub enclosure and under the running water, then loosened his hands to allow her to drop her legs and slide down his body. They both gasped when she didn't get past his now very erect cock.

"I think I'm stuck," she whispered, putting her legs around him again, her open labia just brushing the top of his erection. Only her arms around his neck were keeping her in place.

"Think you could go lower. Just let go and let yourself drop onto—ah!"

Buffy gave a little yelp as gravity pulled her down, and she suddenly forgot all about the water pouring over her. With Spike unable to get enough leverage to get a good rhythm going without risking a slippery fall, she settled for using her internal muscles to squeeze him into groaning reciprocation. He shifted into vamp mode, and Buffy felt the change inside her where his more vigorous cock was now twitching inside her hard enough to elicit gasps and moans. With him holding her hips tightly, and her legs clutching his hips, they clung together while the internal battle was taking place.

To anyone watching them, they would have appeared to be almost immobile, standing in place and making steadily increasing sounds of pleasure. When Buffy threw back her head and cried his name, he pulled her hard against his body and growled his own completion into her throat. She felt him shift back into his human face as he sucked briefly on her neck before lowered her to stand on the tub bottom.

"Wasn't quite what I expected to do," he murmured, still holding her tightly, "but it was a cracking good change of plans."

"It was. Most definitely. Good change of plan." Buffy gasped out her response, still struggling to even out her breathing. "Have I ever mentioned how very, very good you are?"

"You're a bloody inspiration, sweetheart. Couldn't do a bad job if I tried. Not when I'm surrounded by all that's Buffy."

Having recovered well enough to stand on her own, Buffy reached for the bath gel and sponge. Squirting gel on the wet sponge, she began to stroke his chest, reaching around to do his back and sliding down to rub foam over his ass. She paused to pinch him, then continued down the backs of his legs, which put her face next to his rapidly refilling cock.

"Don't worry," she cooed at it as she kissed the tip. "I'll get to you later."

"You'll get to it now," Spike growled as she giggled and dodged his attempts to put it in her mouth.

"Ah, ah. Don't be so impatient." She began scrubbing her way up his legs, then dropped the sponge to use her hands to thoroughly coat his cock with the slippery gel. She began to rub it vigorously.

"Bloody hell, Slayer. Are you trying to kill me?"

"What?" She blinked at him innocently as she stood up and continued to rub while he pushed into her hands. "Don't you like it? Should I stop?"

"No, you minx. Don't stop. Never stop. Never stop… Ah! Buffy!"

She giggled. "Now look at that. I'll have to wash you off all over again." She bent down for the sponge, shrieking when he grabbed her hips and spun her around, pulling her back against his body.

"I'll rinse off later," he growled. "Time to get you clean." Forgoing the sponge, he used his hands to spread bubbles all over her front, taking extra time with her breasts and making his way down to her already parted legs. It took only a few minutes for his talented fingers to bring her to a gasping climax that left her weak in the knees. Holding her up with one arm around her waist, he made sure they were both getting well rinsed before he shut the water off.

"You okay to stand?" he asked, unable to keep the satisfaction from his voice.

"I'm fine, smartass," Buffy replied as she stepped from tub and handed him a towel. "You're not all that, you know."

"Yes I am. You told me so." He grinned at her, the obvious love on his face taking any edge off the braggadocio. When she didn't respond immediately, his happy expression began to fade until she laughed and stepped close enough to go up on her toes to kiss him.

"Yes I did. And you are."

"And I love you more than life itself," he said, extending the kiss. "Never forget that. Whatever happens to us in the future, remember that I love you."

"Way to remind me this might be temporary, Spike." She rested her head on his bare chest and slid her arms around his waist.

"Didn't mean to spoil the moment, love."

"You didn't spoil anything. You told me you love me. There's nothing spoilery about that." She leaned back and gazed up at him. "I love you too. I don't think anything can change that at this point, but—"

"But we don't know. Got it, love." He rubbed a dry towel over her, grateful that she didn't seem to care that her hair was also wet. "I'm pretty sure I'd have been in love with you no matter what, but who knows what difference it will make if we can get rid of the hellbitch."

"Nothing we've done so far has changed who we are, so let's not worry about it until we have to."

"Good idea."

"Time for bed." Buffy yawned. "I guess you're going to be keeping human hours for a while."

"I will when I have to, but just because I can go out in the sun, doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy it."

"Well, I enjoy it, and I'm going to go to sleep now. Even slayers need a few hours of sleep every night."

They curled up together as if they'd been sharing the same bed all night for decades, rather than just the few times they actually had.

 **XXXXX**

Buffy met Willow for lunch in one of the campus coffee shops, smiling to herself when she saw that Tara was just getting up from the table.

"Don't let me drive you away," Buffy said. "I just wanted to talk to Willow for a little while." She set down the diet soda she'd already bought and smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way.

"You're not," Tara said, as she hid behind a curtain of hair. "D… driving me away, I mean. I have an appointment with my counselor in a few minutes." She turned to smile at Willow. "I guess I'll see you tonight, then?"

Willow beamed at her. "Yep. We're going to cast silly spells all night." She caught Buffy's tiny crease between her eyes and added quickly, "We'll be floating pencils, and making flowers, and… and just other fun stuff like that."

Tara glanced at Buffy briefly, having caught the tension, but nodded and said her good-byes.

"I wasn't worried," Buffy said as she sat down in the chair Tara had just vacated.

"Yes you were, but it's okay. After talking with Winston last night, I kinda understand why you're all so jumpy around me."

Buffy peered at her. "Really? So, you got along okay?"

Willow nodded. "According to him, he and I are really good friends in the future, and he just wants to help me not make the same mistakes I made getting there. I believe him. I can see myself being friends with him… even though I think he could probably freeze me with a wave of his hand."

Buffy covered her choke by coughing and grabbing her drink. She took a deep swallow, then exhaled. "Wow, that's better. I think a bug flew in my mouth or something."

"Yeah, or something." Willow narrowed her eyes, but didn't pursue it. "Anyway, I guess in the future he's as close to me as Xander is now, so he really cares what happens to me."

"Speaking of…." Buffy sighed and told Willow about their encounter with Riley.

"Oh no! What are you going to do now?"

"You mean other than stop Spike from shaking Xander until he throws up?" Buffy said wryly. "We're just going to have to bring him into the loop. But it won't be tonight, because I have to stake out that old clock tower where the Gentlemen put their box of voices. Anya and Xander should be safe – they were in our time, and you already have a plan to keep you and Tara safe indoors. Just don't fall asleep if you can help it. If I don't nail these guys right away, their minions might be trying to find hearts for them anyway. I'm not sure how that worked, so just watch out for ugly guys with really long arms. They kind of look like they're wearing straitjackets, except they aren't trapped in them. They can move pretty fast."

"What happened in your time?"

"Well, they did whatever it is they did to capture everybody's voice in the little box, which meant they and their creepy helpers could go around Sunnydale taking hearts out of chests and nobody could scream. Olivia saw the Gentlemen floating by Giles's, but of course we didn't know what they were doing then. By the time he looked them up and we got it figured out and knew what to do, they only needed one or two more hearts to complete whatever it was they were trying to do. Facts are a little sketchy when you're talking about fairy tale monsters and not…" Buffy frowned.

"Real monsters?" Willow finished for her.

"Yeah. That. Anyway, it took us at least twenty-four hours to get up to speed, and by that time, they already had five hearts. But since I know when they're arriving, and where they stash the box with the voices, I can be waiting for them. All I have to do is scream really loud and their heads explode." She grinned at Willow. "It was pretty cool, actually. I mean except for the part when five people died, and Riley saw me fighting them, and I saw him, so we had to talk about our secret identities…"

"Is he going to help you tonight?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't think so. He won't know anything's going on until everyone wakes up without voices tomorrow. And if I can break the spell—or whatever it is—before that happens, or before they can kill anybody…. Spike will help me if we have to fight off the uglies to get to the box."

"And Riley already knows about you… and vice versa."

"Yeah. He does. And about Spike, unfortunately. Not that he wasn't getting pretty suspicious, but he couldn't be sure before."

"Well, good luck. Hey! Did you know classes start again tomorrow? I guess they figured out how to finesse all the fire alarms and stuff. I wonder who's going to replace Dr. Walsh?"

"Don't know. Guess I should start paying attention to school, since it looks like I'm going to be here this time around."

"You might as well. I guess you didn't get very far in your time, huh?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm not sure I even finished the first semester. And once we knew about Adam… yeah, going to class had to take a back seat to figuring out how to fight a cyborg."

"I guess that would put a crimp in your study time. But hey, now you'll have more time."

"I will. That'll make Mom happy too. She wasn't thrilled to hear I never even finished one year of college in my time."

"Uh oh. Here comes Riley. I think I'll take off. I'll see you in class tomorrow? I'm guessing you and Spike are…. Whatever you are."

"We've got an apartment. I'll give you the address, and my cell phone number. But I'll be in and out of the dorm for a while. Most of my clothes are still there."

"So, living together, huh. Like living together people do. Like a couple."

"I thought you were okay with us?"

"I'm trying to be, it's just hard, you know? I mean, a week ago, he was all 'Grrr, Argh! I'm going to drink your blood' and now he's got a soul and no chip, and you're all, and he's all… And here's Riley, so I'm just going to scoot."

"See you later. Don't forget to lock your door and stay in tonight."

"Got it. I don't mind having a good excuse to spend the night with Tara." Willow blushed to her roots at Buffy's giggle. "Hi, Riley. Bye, Riley," she managed to get out before she hurried away.

Riley watched Willow leave, then shook his head. "She's the most interesting mix of brilliance and confidence and… not such confidence."

"You have no idea," Buffy said with a snort.

"No. I probably don't. Another one of those things I know nothing about." He didn't wait for a response, but pulled out a chair as he said, "Do you mind if I sit down?"

Buffy blinked at him. "Does it matter? You seem to be sitting."

He sighed and suddenly dropped his military demeanor. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I'm trying not to come on too strong, but you've got me completely turned around. I mean, a week ago, I thought we were starting to… I thought maybe we had something. Then you just shut me off. You're hanging out with some guy that looks like a Billy Idol wannabe, you and he show up when the sub-terrestrials are escaping and make it very obvious that neither one of you is a normal person, then Xander tells me Spike is a vampire… a vampire that kills slayers, which I now know is what you are, but he can walk around in the sun, so…." He sighed and pushed back his chair.

"I'm confused, Buffy. You're not the girl I thought I knew, but I don't know why you changed."

Buffy nodded her head and sipped her drink before answering him. "Well… and I know you don't want to hear this," she said quickly, "but I really can't tell you… everything. I _am_ the Slayer. Have been since I was fifteen. And I have known Spike for almost as long as I have Willow and Xander. I met them when we moved to Sunnydale… because it's on the hellmouth." She glanced up at him. "You know about the hellmouth, right?"

He nodded. "I know there's some sort of power source under the town and that it's responsible for all the sub-terrestrials here—"

"Demons, Riley. They are demons. And vampires. Hence the Council of Watchers sending the current vampire slayer here."

"Okay. So this 'Council of… Watchers'? sent you here and you met Willow and Xander. How does Spike fit into the picture? And why is Xander so sure he's evil and out to kill everybody?"

"Okay, so this is where it gets complicated… There are some things about Spike… and about me… that Xander doesn't know yet. And he was all mad at everybody the other night because we were talking about stuff he doesn't know about, and he was already feeling all left out of things – with Willow and me being in college now, and meeting new people and doing stuff he isn't part of, and… he just… he just thought he could at least get rid of Spike. I mean, he's mad at Willow and me, and Giles—Giles is—was my watcher—and I guess he's mad at Winston, although he just met him so…."

"So he ratted out Spike because he doesn't like him, but the rest of you are his friends and he doesn't really want to hurt you, he's just pissed off at you for keeping secrets."

Buffy gave him an admiring look. "Wow. I forgot you were a psych major."

"Did I get it?"

"Pretty much, yeah. I guess so. I mean, Spike isn't his friend—I mean, he is or will be, but Xander doesn't think so, and he hates him, so… yeah. I guess Spike was the only one he could strike out at."

"You said Xander doesn't know… whatever it is that he doesn't know… _yet._ Does that mean you're going to bring him into the loop?"

Buffy nodded. "We're going to have to. For a lot of reasons, not just because he's obviously going to cause trouble if we don't, but… for other reasons. I trust him. He should know."

"But I shouldn't." Riley's voice was flat and cold. "You don't trust me."

Buffy sighed. "Riley, you're a really nice guy in a lot of ways, and under different circumstances I'd probably…. But these aren't different circumstances. They are what they are, and the smaller we keep the 'loop', the safer it is for everybody. Trust me."

"You don't trust me," he repeated.

Buffy's expression hardened. "You work for an organization that captures sentient beings and performs 'experiments' on them. Your boss cut them up and put one demon's body parts on another one, trying to create weapons to use against humans somewhere. She was making a monster in her lab – and, okay, you didn't know about Adam, but you knew what was going on with all the demons and vamps you brought down there. You knew what was happening to them. You wanted to capture _me_ and run tests on me after you saw me fight, just because you didn't understand what I am." She stopped and took a deep breath. "So, yeah. I'm sorry, but I don't trust you enough to tell you what's going on. You don't need to know."

"It's my job to protect this city and this country. If I understand you, it's your job to kill vampires and demons."

"No. It's my job to protect the people in this city… and in this world. I have to save the world from an apocalypse pretty much every spring. It's like… slaying vampires is my day job, and saving the world is my overtime job. I was Chosen to do it. And yes, I've been given some powers that help me do my job, but—"

"What kind of powers?"

"Not the same kind you have… which, by the way, you need to get checked out by a doctor soon. Now that Maggie—Professor Walsh—is gone, she's not feeding you the chemicals that were making you strong, so you'll go into withdrawal, and you've got a chip in your heart that needs to come out before it malfunctions."

"And you're not going to tell me how you know this? I'm just supposed to believe you." He almost sneered at her.

"You can believe me or not, Riley." Buffy stood up. "I'm just giving you some information you and your friends might need soon. Do with it as you like." She walked away, feeling his eyes on her back and giving a mental sigh.


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

Taking out The Gentlemen was almost too easy this time. With Buffy and Spike hiding in the clock tower, they only had to wait until the box was opened and they felt their voices leave to make their presence know. The gentleman holding the box slammed it shut and gestured for his helpers to grab the two humans who seemed to be volunteering to contribute their hearts.

After a closer look at Spike, he shook his head and pointed at Buffy instead. When they grabbed her arms and tried to hold her for the gentleman holding the knife, Spike began flinging them aside to make his way to the box and smash it. When Buffy felt her voice return, she opened her mouth and began screaming, not stopping until all four gentlemen had lost their heads. With them gone, the minions vanished as if they'd never existed.

"Huh!" Buffy stared around the room. "That was a lot easier than the first time." She peered at him. "Probably doesn't hurt that you're a better fighter than Riley was."

"Now what? That pretty much took care of _those_ evil visitors. What's next?"

"Let me think… We need to stop the Vahrall demons from collecting their stuff and jumping into the hellmouth with it. That's next."

"I remember that night. One of the ugly buggers hit me so hard I hit him back and found out I could still fight demons."

"Yep. Was a big highlight for you – even if you did end up throwing him into the hellmouth and making me have to dive in after the last one…."

"Sorry? I think I was a little over-excited."

"Ya think? Ah well, no harm done and Riley got a better understanding of what a slayer is."

Spike's expression darkened. "I'm sure he did," he growled.

Buffy stopped and glared at him. "Let's just put this in perspective, 'k? At this point in our time, you still wanted to kill me. When you thought you got your chip out, you did try to bite me. You've got no right to be jealous of Riley or anybody else I might have been dating back then."

He sighed and put his arm around her. "Right you are, love. I'm a git. But in my defense, I was probably already half in love with you and just not willing to admit it to myself. I was already jealous of anybody who got near you, just, my demon didn't know how to express it properly."

"So he wanted to kill me?"

Spike shrugged. "Probably? It's a vampire thing. To the demon, you would have been just as desirable undead as you were alive. Doubt I would have followed through, though. I remember when I thought the chip was out and I had you down. Feeling you moving under me…. I think my mind wandered right away from any thoughts of killing you."

"Easy for you to say now." Buffy led the way out of the clock tower. "Anyway, that's the next job. Just stop those demons from getting the stuff they need. We didn't do that last time, but maybe with you helping me, we can stop at least one of them. If they don't have the stuff, they can't work the ritual."

"Makes sense to me. Time to go home?"

"I guess. I'm going to hit my classes tomorrow, and then I guess tomorrow night we'll have to talk to Xander."

"Lookin' forward to it," he said, rolling his eyes.

 **XXXXX**

When Xander and Anya walked into Giles's apartment, Xander looked around at everyone who was already there and then turned to Willow accusingly.

"I thought you said it was just going to be a Scooby meeting? What are Fangface and this guy doing here again?" His irritated gesture included Spike and Winston, and his glare focused on Giles.

"It _is_ a Scooby meeting," Buffy said quietly. "You and Anya are Scoobies, so we needed you here. We want to bring you up to speed on what's going on."

"Why now and not two nights ago?"

"Because two nights ago, you hadn't gone blabbing to someone who's already tryin' too hard to find out things he doesn't need to know about something else he doesn't need to know." Spike flinched when Buffy punched his arm, but was unrepentant as he met Xander's shocked stare with his own icy gaze.

"So, I'm here because I told Riley you were a vampire? Not seeing the downside to that. It's what you are, a soulless, bloodsucking, slayer-killing vampire."

There was a silence while everyone waited to see who was going to challenge Xander's conclusion. Finally, in what seemed to be a random change of subject, Giles said, "Anya, we've been meaning to ask you—do you recall from your days as a vengeance demon ever doing any time-travelling?"

"Well of course." She shrugged. "I could cross time dimensions and go back to other times whenever I needed to work a vengeance."

"Then you have some understanding of how changes in one time can affect the future?"

"Duh?" She peered suspiciously at Giles. "What's this all about? I haven't done anything. I can't do that time travelling thing anymore." She tried to shrink behind Xander in case someone was planning to punish her for something.

"No, no. We're not blaming you for anything, quite the contrary. We wish to learn from you. We have some… questions… about time travelling."

Anya came out from behind Xander, paused and thought for a moment. Then her eyes lit up and she walked over to Buffy. She stared at her intently, then at Spike, grabbing his chin so she could look into his eyes. "I knew it!" she crowed. "I knew there was something going on with you two."

Xander took her arm and pulled her away from Spike. "Don't get too close to the vampire, An. And what the hell do you mean by 'I knew it'? What did you know?"

"Look at them. Buffy's skinnier than ever, her hair's different, and she and Spike keep touching each other. They aren't our Spike and Buffy."

"Well then, who the hell's Spike and Buffy are they?" Xander stared at them. "Did you come here from some other dimension?"

"Well, kinda. Why don't you sit down so we can tell you?" Buffy said, smiling brightly.

"They came from the future. How can you not see that, Xander? That's why they know stuff they shouldn't know."

"Is that true?" He whirled on them. "You're from the future? _Our_ future?"

Giles attempted to maintain the subject he'd begun. "That is a brilliant deduction, Anya. And exactly why I asked you about your experiences. I believe your knowledge could be extremely valuable to us… all of us," he added, looking pointedly at Spike and Winston.

"Well, yeah. If they're here by accident and don't want to mess up their future…." Anya saw Buffy and Spike exchange frowns. "Of course, if they're here on purpose…. What do you want to change?" she asked them directly, sitting in a chair she drew up closer to them.

Xander was still on his feet, staring at Buffy and Spike. "You're from the future? Both of you? How far into the future? Why isn't he dust yet, Buffy?"

"Sit down, Xander and I'll explain," Buffy said. "Yes. We are from several years in the future. Because of something that happens—or happened—more than a year from now, Giles sent me back to change it, and… another group sent Spike back to do the same thing. Neither one of us knew the other one was going to be here. But we are, and—"

"How do you know the group that sent him back wasn't evil?"

Buffy sighed. "It was Angel, Xander. And Wesley and some other people who work with Angel in LA. They sent him back and he got here just a few minutes after I did. It took us a couple of weeks to find each other and figure out who we really are, but—"

Xander sat down heavily, shaking his head.

"Do you want to hear everything a little bit at a time, or in one big information dump?" Willow asked.

"Oh, just throw it all at me. If I'm going to freak out, I might as well get it over with all at one time."

"If I may?" Winston spoke up for the first time. "I'm also from the future, only a short time after Spike and Buffy were sent back, but already my timeline had changed slightly from theirs—yours. They are trying to control how many people know about them in order to limit the effects they may be having on that future. That is the reason they did not immediately tell you who they were. However, it is obvious that you need to understand the situation in order to stop yourself from accidentally making it worse."

"Okay, I get that," Xander said with a sigh. "And I already screwed up by telling Riley about Spike." He frowned in Spike's direction. "But why didn't he think Spike was a vamp?"

"Because he's seen me strolling in the sunshine with Buffy," Spike said, and waited while Xander processed what that meant.

"You gave _him_ the ring? Are you nuts?"

"It's fine, Xander. For several reasons. Let Winston finish telling you about it, okay?"

"The important thing, just to set your mind at ease, is that Spike has his soul. He may or may not wish to share with you how and why he got it, but he did seek out a demon that could restore it." He waited for Xander to stop sputtering, then continued, "Allow me to bring you up to date on why they are here, and what has happened since they arrived."

With only minor interruptions from Xander, who kept stealing glances at Spike and Buffy—now sitting much more closely together—and with the occasional pause to verify what he was saying with Buffy or Spike, Winston gave a concise summary of what happened in the following years, and what an effect it had on the world.

"So, let me get this straight… Buffy and Spike got sent back to somehow kick hellgod butt so that Buffy doesn't have to… die?" Xander stared at her, flinching when she nodded. "Because that made something else really bad happen? What could possibly be worse than Buffy dying? And then… not dying?" He frowned in confusion. "But you're here. All alive and…. hey! You're not a vampire like Fangface now, are you? Is that why you're letting him hang out with you?"

"No, Xander. I'm not a vampire. And I'm not dead anymore. Weren't you paying attention? Willow and you and Anya and—Tara, who you haven't met yet— did a spell that brought me back to life. So to speak," she muttered, smiling when Spike put his arm around her and gave a comforting squeeze.

Which sent Xander's face into a sequence of color changes, from white to red to purple… and back to white.

"What the hell is that?" He glared at Spike, whose arm was still resting on Buffy's shoulder.

"This is the man—vampire—who got me through my depression at being yanked out of heaven. Who has loved me and protected my family and friends for years with no idea he would ever have a reward for it. A vampire who got a soul… for me. Who burned up saving the world after it turned out my resurrection upset a balance that was keeping the First Evil from taking over the world. He is, and has been for a long time—except when one or the other of us is dead—the man in my life." Buffy finished her impatient response and slumped back against Spike's side, nodding when he murmured quietly in her ear.

Xander glanced at Willow, who had sat stoically while Winston glossed over her resurrection spell and its consequences.

"Willow? Is all this true?"

"So it seems," she said. "Turns out when we brought Buffy back from the dead, it wasn't as good an idea as it seemed at the time."

"Wow," he whispered, almost to himself. "Wow." He gazed at Buffy, wincing when Spike dropped a kiss on the top of her head as she sat up. "And Deadboy Jr is… he has a soul? Like Angel?"

Spike's snarled, "I am nothing like him!" had Buffy petting his arm soothingly.

Xander shrugged. "You're a vampire, you've got a soul, and you're macking on Buffy. Sounds like Angel-lite to me."

"Can I eat him, pet? Pretty please. I promise to brush my teeth after." Spike never took his eyes off Xander, who glared back while moving away quickly.

"Just stop it, you two." Buffy nudged Spike, who subsided with a grumble. Then she focused her attention on Xander.

"And you. In the future, you two are on the same side. And he saves your life more than once. By the time he…." She stopped "You know what? I'm not going through this again. Take my word for it. He's earned the right to be trusted. I don't expect you to suddenly become besties when you haven't lived through any of that stuff yet, but I do expect you to believe me when I tell you that three years from now, Spike is, and has been, very much a part of our lives.

"The question now," Giles said with a sigh, "is will you join us in supporting Buffy and Spike—and Winston—in their quest to avoid bringing about the rise of the First Evil?"

Xander stared around him at the other people waiting his answer. "Of course I will! What do you think I am?"

There was a crashing silence while everyone waited for someone else to speak up. Spike surprised them all by avoiding the anticipated snarky comment to say, "I reckon we weren't sure if the you in this timeline could handle knowing I was part of Buffy's life. And that we come from a time when that's alright with everybody."

Anya was nodding her head, even as Xander started to protest. "That's just…." He looked down, hanging his head. "…just fair, I guess. I never think anybody's good enough for our Buffy, and another vampire is…." He shook himself as if casting off something dirty. "I'll try, Fangface, but I'm not making any promises. I really thought she might have something going with Riley. You know, nice normal guy."

"And now it's time to tell you about the Initiative and how amazing Willow was…."

 **XXXXX**

By the time they had caught Xander up on not only what Willow had done to make Buffy's job easier this time around but also what other sorts of things were going on in the Initiative labs, he had gone very silent. When there was a pause that no one filled, he said, "But they're all vamps and demons, aren't they? I mean, you kill them all the time Buffy, how is that different?"

"I don't torture them," Buffy said tersely. "And I only kill the evil ones. Sunnydale is full of demons and half-demons who are harmless to people. They aren't evil."

"And Riley?" Spike growled at the way Xander seemed to be grasping at straws to avoid believing he and Buffy were a couple, but Buffy's hand on his leg calmed him down.

"In our time I did date Riley for almost a year, but he couldn't handle being the Slayer's boyfriend. There would have been no point in even trying this time around, even if Spike wasn't here. Which he is."

"Give it a rest, Xander," Anya said. "They're together. Look at them."

"I'd rather not," he muttered, glancing at Spike briefly. "No offense."

Spike made a rude gesture at him and relaxed into the chair.

"So what else can you tell us?" Anya asked with an eager smile. "Information about the stock market? What lottery tickets to buy?"


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

"I know you might find this hard to believe, Anya, but we really weren't paying a lot of attention to the stock market or lottery back then… er… now. In our time." Buffy tried to keep the impatience out of her voice as she attempted to steer the conversation back to their next problem.

She said, "First, we need to try to prevent the Vahrall demons from getting the relics they need to perform their ritual… As soon as you look up the ritual and reminded me of what they were, Giles. I know you have all that stuff in one of these books. I think maybe Willow found some of the information for you, but it was from one of your books. Did you look up Vahrall demons?" The "as I asked you to?" was heavily implied, making Giles frown as he answered.

"I did. And I found much of the information you can't seem to recall, including the symbol you'll be looking for to locate the proper crypt. He handed her a piece of paper.

"What? You thought I would remember all the details four very busy years later?" Buffy said indignantly.

"I'm so sorry," Giles said with a complete lack of sincerity. "What was I thinking?"

Buffy glanced over the short list, and it all came back. She described the Word of Valios, saying, "You have it here, Giles, but you'd better give it to me for safe-keeping."

"I had no idea," he said. "I'd always assumed it was lost and what I have is a knockoff. I'd never have thought—How did you know?"

"In our time, the three demons paid you a visit and took it. Somehow they knew where to find it. If we keep it with us—"

Winston coughed and interrupted. "I believe, now that we know what it is and that the Vahralls can locate it through some means we don't understand, it should be possible to ward the apartment, or at least the hiding place, to make it invisible to them. If they don't know to look for it here, they cannot take it to use in their ritual."

Giles began digging through a box of random artifacts until he found the talisman and held it up. "We can put it in the safe and then perhaps try to cloak its location."

Buffy shrugged. "That works. I don't really want to have to fight all three of them at one time if I don't have to. Even if I do have help," she added, smiling at Spike and Willow and Xander.

"I want to fight one," Spike said. When everyone stared at him, he muttered, "For old time's sake. That's how I found out the chip only worked on humans."

"Okay, fine," Buffy said, shaking her head at Spike. "You guys do your invisible thing for the talisman, and we'll try to find the crypt the Vahrall was getting the bones of a child from. I remember that symbol now. There was some reason it had to be that specific set of bones. Spike can relive his glory days there if we catch the one that clobbered me."

"If we have the talisman, and you can find the bones they want to use, that should be enough to thwart the ritual. I presume the blood of a man was someone they brought there to sacrifice?"

"Um, no. I think they had a jar of blood with them. And all three of them were to be the sacrifices. So, no talisman, no bones, and maybe we can kill at least one of them if we catch him at the crypt, that should do it, shouldn't it? No relics and only two demons equals no ritual to open the hellmouth."

"I would think so," Giles said. "Although I will research it more thoroughly in case we are missing something."

Assuming that the plan would go well, they brainstormed about the other major dangers Buffy knew about. Winston and Willow would work on some charms for Giles, so Ethan's attempt to change him into a Fyral demon would at worst, not work, and at best backfire in some way.

"Um… I'm really not interested in facing a Fyral demon with Ethan's attitude," Giles cautioned.

"Right. We'll work on that part of it. Perhaps just making you immune to whatever he tries to give you would do it?"

"Won't he just leave if it doesn't work?" Willow frowned at Giles, who shook his head.

"I'd like to think so, but he can be quite… persistent. Although, if I'm aware of when he's trying to work the spell, and am close enough to him, I'm confident I can convince him it's in his best interest to leave." He didn't elaborate, but Buffy and Willow exchange glances.

"That sounds very Ripperish, Giles," Buffy said with a grin. "Will that work?"

"It did the first time. I don't believe he waited around for the all the consequences of the candy fiasco. This year's visit would be his third time in Sunnydale. What did you say you did with him in your time?"

"I pounded on him until he turned you back to you, and then Riley arrested him… or whatever they call it when it's Army guys doing it" She frowned. "I guess that won't happen now. What _are_ we going to do with him? I'm not sure I'd want to condemn even Ethan to the Initiative's custody now that we know more about them. I wonder what they did with him in our time?"

"I'm quite sure he made himself so obnoxious they either killed him or threw him out," Giles said with a grimace. "I take it you've never seen him again?"

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. Never even heard his name again. What can you do to keep him away if we don't turn him over to them?"

"I'll think of something." The expression on Giles's face didn't bode well for Ethan's continued happiness, and Spike gave him a grin and a thumbs up.

"Let's move on," Giles said, clearing his throat. "The other thing to worry about is Faith waking up from her coma and somehow swapping bodies with Buffy. We will all need to be very cautious around Faith if we see her, and—"

"And, if you have any reason to doubt who I am, ask me something only I would know, 'k?"

"She's not going to fool me this time," Spike growled. "I'll be ready for her."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's all going to be different this time. Everybody's going to know it could happen, and I'll know to be careful if I have to fight her so she can't touch me with that thing the Mayor gave her. And I already warned Mom."

"Just in case, we'll have another one ready for you to use to switch back right away." Willow smiled at Winston, who nodded his approval.

"Giles… do you think you can ward off the wet works team before they are sent out? We don't really know how they knew she was awake, but they got here really fast. I don't want to have to fight them again…." Buffy paused, remembering what they were like. "Although I will if I have to. They deserve a good beatdown. And I don't want them to kill Faith or take her back. We needed her against the First, and she came to help. She's turned into a pretty good slayer in our time."

"Should I be disturbed that you even know that term… 'wet works team'?"

"I think you should be disturbed that you work for an organization that has such things," Buffy snapped at him.

Giles coughed again. "Right you are. I will see what I can do, but it will have to wait until we know Faith has awakened."

"Maybe we can get somebody in the coma ward on that?" Buffy frowned. "I'll bet that's how the Council knew she was awake. Somebody there told them. If we can figure out who it is, and get them to tell us instead…."

"Maybe we should just pay a visit," Spike said. "You know, the current slayer just checking up on her… friend. I doubt anybody there knows how she got into that coma."

"Yeah, maybe." Buffy shuddered. "I hate hospitals."

Changing the subject, Giles said to Anya, "When you have some free time, Winston and I would love to talk with you about time travel and what sorts of things are and are not possible. If you're willing, of course."

"I'd be happy to. It would give me something to do while Xander is at work all day and can't give me orgasms." She frowned. "Not that I'm expecting you to do that, just—"

Buffy and Spike smothered smiles while, with much coughing and clearing of throats, Giles and Winston assured her that hadn't even considered that possibility.

"Guess we shouldn't share that they might think they're engaged a couple of years from now," Spike whispered in Buffy's ear.

"No! Because that's probably not going to happen this time."

"I hope you're right, Joan," he said, gazing at Willow. "But I wouldn't count on it."

Buffy poked him on the arm. "Don't be so negative," she said in a normal tone of voice.

"Fine. Whatever you say, love. What say we go out and start checking out the places on this list?"

"You don't want to hear what Anya has to say about time travel?" Giles frowned at them.

Buffy looked at Spike, then back to Giles and Winston. "Of course we want to know what she says if it's something we need to know. But we're not going to be doing anything tonight that should affect the future. I mean the fight in the hellmouth is going to be different anyway because the Initiative guys are probably going to be gone by then. And if we've got possession of most of the relics the demons need, they aren't going to be able to do their ritual, so there won't be any reason for anybody to have to go down there."

"I doubt changing that failed ritual is going to affect anything. Either way, the ritual never took place." Spike glanced at Buffy. "And the other stuff that happened—me finding out I can hit demons, we already know that. And Finn already knows you fight demons and you already know he does, so that's really not going to be affected by us not having anybody going to visit the hellmouth."

"I guess, just in case, it wouldn't hurt for us to take a peek in there every night for a while. But we're not likely to find the Vahrall demons if we have all their relics someplace safe."

"Especially not if we kill any of them we find while we're looking for their toys."

"There's that."

Xander frowned at them. "You know, you two are kinda scary in your old age. And I don't mean just in the he's a vampire and you're a slayer kind of way."

Buffy gave him a sad smile. "We've lived through some pretty… not fun… times in the past few years. People we love have died— _we've_ died—and I guess it's made us a little harder than the Buffy and Spike you know." She glanced at Spike, whose raised eyebrows matched the disbelief from the humans in the room. "Okay, maybe not Spike. He was already an evil badass… but he hadn't died to save the world yet, or fought a demon to get his soul back, and then had to live with—"

"Enough, love. I think they get the picture." Spike's hand in hers did as much to stop her as his softly uttered words did, and she broke off her lecture.

"Anyway, yeah. I'm sorry we aren't quite what you're used to, but trust me, in our time when you made it to where we were, you were pretty different people too."

"So I've been told," Willow muttered, shooting a glance at Winston.

"Not gonna happen this time, Red," Spike said firmly. "No worries."

"And on that happy note, I think we'll go look for hellmouth-opening demon relics," Buffy said as she stood up. She smiled at Anya. "Anything you can add to the pretty much nothing we know about time travel and how many ways it can go wonky, would be greatly appreciated. It's not that we don't want to hear it, it's that remembering and understanding stuff like that is more up Giles and Winston's watcherly alley." She gestured between herself and Spike. "We're kind of better at killing things."

"Like I said, scary," Xander shuddered theatrically.

"And don't you forget, Harris," Spike said, laughing at Xander's expression as they went out the door.

 **XXXXX**

"You are such an ass!" Buffy pushed Spike off the curb as they started across the parking lot.

"Ah, but I'm your ass, love," he said with a grin. "It had to be said. Need to keep him on his toes."

"We need to keep him trusting us," Buffy said with a huff. "Not scared to death of one of us."

"Oh, I don't think you scared him too badly, love. I wouldn't worry about it." Spike grinned as he danced away from her irritated swing at his head.

"Very funny. And I repeat, you are an ass."

"And I repeat, I'm your ass," he said, pivoting in front of her so he could wrap his arms around her. "Always was and always will be."

"I hope you're right," she sighed, resting her head against his chest briefly.

"You know I am," he said, kissing the top of her head. "No hopin' about it. Now, let's go find Vahrall demons."

Buffy consulted the paper and said, "Looks like the first stop is Shady Rest where there's a tomb containing the bones they need. I hope I can remember which tomb it was. I got whacked on the head pretty good that night. We might have to look at a lot of them until we find the one with the symbol on it."

"Shady Rest it is. Not going to be any Buffy-whacking this time." He took her hand and they began walking, covering the ground quickly without really seeming to be trying.

 **XXXXX**

"How'd we do?"

Spike eyed the bones spread out on their kitchen counter.

"Between these bones and the talisman that Giles and Winston are going to protect, that's two-thirds of what they needed. Plus, they should be down to only two demons by now thanks to your temper tantrum, so there goes their "sacrifice of three"."

"Unless there are more of them lurking around Sunnydale than you know of," Spike pointed out. "Just 'cause we only saw the three last time, doesn't mean that's all there were."

"Way to spoil the moment, Spike." Buffy glared at him. "Now I've got to worry that they might still be able to do the ritual if they find more bones. I'm sure this wasn't the only child buried in Shady Rest, it was just the one they wanted."

"They can't do it without the third part, right? And we've got a sorcerer, an ignorant but powerful witch, and a whatever Rupert was in his youth working to keep it invisible."

"Invisible and unattainable would make me happier. I think we need to stay on top of this until they run out of time to do their thing."

"Well, we know it's not tonight, and that they have to find more bones, so we'll keep checking with the magic team and if they think we need to, we'll check the hellmouth every night for a while."

 **XXXX**

"Well, that was a bit of alright!" Spike was celebrating having managed to kill one of the Vahrall demons with his bare hands, while Buffy wiped her bloody sword off in the sand.

"I guess we'd better get this thing back to Giles and make sure he's all right," Buffy said, picking the talisman up off the ground around the hellmouth.

"Good thing we've got these, yeah?" Spike held up his cell phone.

"Yep. We might not have gotten here in time if Giles hadn't warned us."

"So much for magical protection," Spike snorted.

"Apparently magic wards from this world don't work against Vahrall demons from another dimension. Good to know for the future."

"I'm sure as soon as the watcher is thinking clearly again, he'll add that information to his records," Spike said. "How many concussions to you think he's had in his lifetime?"

"No idea. Lots since he met me."

"Dangerous to know, are you?" Spike said, putting his arms around her.

"Dangerous to be around sometimes," she said, tipping her head back for his kiss. "You never know when you might be watching me and get yourself captured by commandoes."

"Been there, done that. Rather be here now. With you. In our rented home. Where our bed is…."

"Giles first, bed later."

"Holdin' you to that, love. Killing that demon's got me all sorts of energized." He smirked at her. "An' don't think I can't tell what that fight and slay did to you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Buffy huffed, hiding her smile as she started walking away.

"Yes you do…." he sing-songed as he followed her out.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

When they found Giles, he was sitting on the couch with an icebag on his head, insisting he was fine. As Spike had predicted, he staggered to his desk to make a note that magic did not necessarily work on demons from alternate dimensions.

Spike listened carefully to Giles's heartrate and breathing and assured Buffy he heard nothing to indicate any physical distress—aside from the dizziness. Giles was more than willing to follow their advice to go to bed and stay there until he could sit up without the room spinning around.

"I'll come back sometime late morning tomorrow to see how you're doing," Buffy said with a worried frown.

"I appreciate your concern, Buffy, but it's not the first time I've been knocked out, and I doubt it will be the last."

Buffy and Spike exchanged glances that didn't go unnoticed.

"Shall I assume that is a correct prediction on my part?" Giles sighed.

"Well, I'll try to prevent it, but we thought we had this one covered, and—"

He waved his hand around. "Please don't worry about it. I'm beginning to think the theory that only certain things can be changed may be correct."

Buffy said what they were all thinking. "If that's true, I hope to hell getting rid of Glory before she can open that portal isn't one of them!" They were all silent as they considered what that would mean for Buffy and Spike's mission to prevent the rise of the First.

Spike's growl was deep and went on for a long time.

"The hell-bitch was dead before you jumped, wasn't she?" Buffy shot a look at Giles, then nodded.

"Yes. I beat her down with the troll hammer, and then she turned back into Ben and I ran off. But he didn't live."

"So, if she didn't live in our time, then gettin' rid of her before she can open the portal shouldn't be a big deal. It's not like that portal had time to have an effect on anything before Buffy closed it. So if it never gets opened, it never has to close, Buffy doesn't have to jump, and all is well."

Giles and Buffy stared at him in disbelief.

"What? It could happen that way! 'S what we're here for, isn't it?"

"Right. It could work out like that," Buffy agreed loyally. Giles just rolled his eyes.

"I haven't experienced any of the events you have yet, and even I know it can't possibly be that easy."

"Maybe it will be," Buffy said, putting on her stubbornly hopeful expression.

"We can hope so." With that diplomatic response, Giles stood up and started toward his bedroom. "Please see yourselves out. I believe I have some serious sleeping to indulge in."

 **XXXX**

They'd barely shut the door of their apartment behind them, when Buffy tackled Spike to the floor and began kissing him.

"Not that I'm complaining, love," he murmured between kisses, "but want to tell me what's going on?"

Buffy sighed and started to roll off, but he tightened his arms.

"Oh no, you don't. I like you right here." He flexed his hips up to make sure she could feel how happy to have her lying on him.

"I thought you wanted me to talk?"

"I can listen from here. I can do lots of things while I listen. I am a multi-tasker."

She giggled as he slid one hand under her shirt to unhook her bra, raising herself up just far enough that he could help her get her shirt off. When he pulled her up so he could take a nipple in his mouth, she sighed her appreciation.

"Nothing's 'going on'," she said, squirming around so as to reach his zipper. "I just got a little freaked about what might happen next year and thought we should make love as often as possible while we can. Just in case…."

"Gonna be no 'just in case'," he growled, taking a little nip at her breast. "But it's a brilliant idea. We should start now."

"I thought I already had," she said, trying to sound offended, but giggling anyway.

"You did. But now it's time to take it up a notch." He cocked his head at her. "Here or the bed?"

"How about… both?" She popped open the top button of his unzipped jeans and slipped down his body to take him in her mouth.

"Both it is," he groaned, arching into what she was doing with her lips and tongue. "Ah, Buffy …"

She lifted her head for a second. "Tell me you love me," she demanded. She went back to her task with his litany of "I love you"s mingling with his moans and gasps as she brought him to a quick conclusion. She sat up and licked her lips, smiling at him with satisfaction. He gazed back with more warmth than a vampire should have been capable of, and reached up to touch her lips with a finger.

"I love you, Buffy Anne Summers. I have always loved you and I always will love you."

"And I love you. And that's not going to change, no matter what." She kissed his finger, then stood up. "Bed now?"

"Bed it is," he said, holding his pants closed with one hand as he kipped to his feet. "At your service, love." He put one arm around her bare shoulders and played with one nipple as they walked to the bedroom.

"At my service, huh. I think I like the sound of that."

She turned and raised her face for a kiss that lasted long enough for him to unfasten her jeans and begin to push them down her legs while she did the same with his. They broke the kiss long enough for Spike to shed his own tee shirt and kick his boots and pants off while Buffy removed the rest of her clothes and jumped onto the bed. She flopped onto her back and spread her arms and legs.

"Here I am! Waiting to be serviced."

With a growl, he left the floor and landed on the bed, his knees in between hers and his arms keeping his weight off her.

"If you didn't look so delicious right now, I might take offense at that remark," he said, running his eyes and then his tongue down her torso.

"You said it first… guh!... I wouldn't tell you to do… _that_! Do that again!"

He stopped his vigorous licking to glance at her. "You _would_ tell me, you just did. And it's fine. I _am_ at your service, love. Always will be. And you know bloody well there's nothing you can think of for me to do that isn't going to be just as good for me as it is for you. Take that guilty look off your face, and tell me what you want. Was it this?" He went back to licking her clit just hard enough to be sure she felt it, but not so hard as to give her the release she wanted.

Her hips coming off the bed, she gasped her yeses out, as she tried to get closer to his magic tongue. When her whimpers turned to actual cries of distress, he pulled her clit into his mouth and turned the cries into a scream. He sat back on his heels with a satisfied smile as he waited for her to stop trembling and relax.

"Feeling properly serviced are you now?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Shut up." She focused her eyes and gazed at him, the love he'd not allowed himself to believe for so long fully visible and warm. "And c'mere." She reached a hand toward him and he grasped it, letting her pull him up to rest just enough of his body on hers to be touching head to toe.

"Your turn," she said, nibbling on his shoulder. "I know what you like." She pushed him off and began nipping her way down his body, never biting hard enough to draw blood, but hard enough to hurt. She'd hated doing it when they were in Sunnydale, sure that it was sign of her own degradation and his evil nature, but now she just accepted it as something he liked that she could do for him.

"Ah! That you do. Know just where and how to put those sharp little Slayer teeth. Bloody hell, I love you, woman. Gonna make me spontaneous combust, you are…." When Buffy put her mouth on the head of his cock and ran her teeth lightly over it, he thrust his hips up with a growl. She nipped her way down to the base, back up and then used her teeth to pull the foreskin into her mouth. With a snarl, he leaned up to grab her shoulders and pull on her until she was centered over his cock and could lower herself on to it.

As soon as he was seated deeply, he rolled them over and began moving his hips, smiling when she immediately fell into rhythm with him. They made slow, sensual love, steadily increasing the speed and force of their hips until they were shaking together, their cries of completion coming simultaneously. Without separating, they rolled to their sides and he pulled the covers over them. They fell asleep, face to face and murmuring their "I love you"s.

 **XXXX**

Firmly secure in their mutual feelings, they found it very easy to meet the rest of the problems they were expecting that year. In fact, they hardly knew of Ethan's visit, with Giles simply saying "He was here. I am not a demon, and I do not believe he will be back." Buffy glance at Winston, but he shrugged and shook his head that he'd had nothing to do with it.

"You're not going to tell us what you did?" Buffy sounded offended, but Spike just studied Giles's face and nodded his approval.

"No. I am not. And that's an end to it."

"You're no fun, Giles," Xander complained.

He blanched when Giles looked at him and said, "Something you would do well to remember."

Xander moved next to Buffy and whispered, "Why does he look so scary?"

"I think he went all Ripper on Ethan," Buffy said. "And he's still kinda feeling the vibe."

Giles began to speak, his face as angry as they'd ever seen it, but when he spotted Winston and Spike smothering grins, Buffy beaming at him proudly, Anya nodding in agreement, Willow smiling, and Xander still looking much more respectful than he normally did, he sighed and shook his head.

"There is something very wrong with a group that is so enthusiastic about learning that one of their members may have physically harmed another person," he said, but Buffy was sure she saw his lips twitch as he turned his back.

 **XXXX**

Buffy did visit the hospital's long term care wing and spent some time staring at Faith, but there was no way to tell from looking at her if or when she might wake up. Buffy was, however, able to convince one of the nurses who cared for Faith to give her a call if she saw any sign of potential awakening, or if Faith actually woke up and try to leave. The woman looked at Buffy as if she was not very bright.

"You know she's in a coma, right? And has been for a good long time. Could she wake up? Of course. We hope she will. She gets physical therapy every day to keep her joints and muscles working, but she will still be extremely weak when she wakes up. The idea of her leaving the hospital is ludicrous."

"Well, okay…." Buffy decided this wasn't the time to talk about Slayer strength and healing. "Just let me know if she wakes up, okay? Then I can come and… and … take her home with me. As soon as she's allowed to leave, I mean," Buffy added quickly when it appeared the nurse was about to repeat her spiel. "But of course when she wakes up, I want to be here for her right away."

Under the guise of giving Faith a hug, Buffy leaned down and whispered "I hope you get well, we might need you in a couple of years, but don't try using that thing the Mayor left you. Things are different this time around. We know about it."

After getting more assurances that the nurse had her cell number and would let her know if there were any changes, Buffy left, after taking one last look at Faith.

Not sure if Faith would have been able to hear her or not, Buffy figured she'd done all she could to change that particular episode in her life. She went back to ordinary patrolling and slaying duties, confident that she'd done what she could to make the rest of their time go smoothly.

"Until the skank shows up," she muttered to herself.

"What's that, love?" Spike emerged from the shadows where he'd pursued another vampire and fell into step beside her.

"I just was thinking we've pretty much taken care of everything we can right now, at least until the skank shows up." She smiled at him. "I guess I might have said that part out loud."

"It's still months from now," he said, putting an arm around her. "As long as the bad Slayer doesn't do any body-swapping, we should have plenty of time to rest up for what's coming."

Buffy looked up at him. "You think it's going to be that bad?"

"I was talking about Dawn and dealing with her hormonal tantrums, but yeah, the hellgod figures into it I reckon." He laughed when she shoved him hard.

"Don't talk about my sister like that!"

"Ah, you know I love the Bit almost as much as I love you, Buffy. But you've got to admit, she _was_ something of a handful."

"I'm admitting nothing," Buffy said, her lips twitching as she smothered a smile.

"That's my girl. Denial is always the way to go."

"Hey! Was that a crack? I think that was a crack. You're in trouble now, vampire. I might have to discipline you."

"Looking forward to it, Slayer," he leered. "Race you home?"


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

"I knew it wasn't going to be that easy," Buffy groaned as she shut her phone.

"Problem, love?"

"I know you were listening, don't pretend you weren't," she grumbled. "We need to get to Mom's."

"Slayer Number Two is on the loose, is she? Do we have any idea where to look for her?"

"Only my Mom's house. I don't know where the stuff the Mayor left her was stashed, or how she even knew about it. But she's apparently been gone since yesterday, and if she's been there already, then she already has that thing he gave her to swap bodies with me. We need to get to Mom's before she does and be ready to talk her down."

" _Talk_ her down?"

"We can try. She _is_ a slayer. If we can get her to listen to us, maybe we can keep her from getting in any deeper than she is. I'm not sure exactly what went down when she went to LA, but I know it wasn't good. It was bad enough to make her go to jail voluntarily. And she stayed there till Wes came to get her out so she could help us."

"And if we can't talk her down?"

"If we can't, then you need to be damn sure you know it's me before you get naked again!"

He laughed. "I remember meeting her back then. I couldn't tell it wasn't you, and I—But that wouldn't happen now. Know you too well now not to be able to figure it out. Helps that I know it's possible it's not you, but I think I would know anyway."

"Well, just in case…" She grabbed his belt and pulled him in for a kiss. When she felt the reaction she was looking for, she let go and backed away. "Don't do it."

He adjusted himself. "Do we need a code word? Something you can say if it looks like I might be confused? 'Cause, got to tell you, love, when that body gets close to me, my brain shuts off."

"Seriously?"

"You can't be brassed off about that, Slayer! It's you! Your body. I'm not sayin' I won't know it's not you, or that I wouldn't touch it if I did, I'm just saying my blood, as usual, isn't goin' to be rushing to my brain and it might take me a minute or two."

"Fine! If I'm me, and you don't seem to be sure, I'll say… snap out of it, Spike! Same thing if I'm not me. If you see Faith and you're not sure you can trust that it's me, say something and I'll tell you to snap out of it then too."

"That works. But the plan is going to be not to let that happen, yeah?"

"That's the plan. Let's go."

 **XXXX**

They got to Revello Drive just in time to catch Faith following Joyce into the house. Even with super speed, by the time they were in the door, Faith had already punched Joyce unconscious. She whirled around at the sight of Buffy and Spike right behind her.

Clearly readying herself for a fight, Faith hung on to Joyce, saying, "Just stay there, B, and your mom doesn't get hurt."

"You already hurt her, you bitch!" Buffy's plans to talk to Faith went right out the window when she saw her unconscious mother. To Faith's obvious surprise, Spike touched Buffy on the arm. "Easy, Slayer. Know you're mad, but we had a plan, remember?"

"What the hell?" Faith stared from Buffy to Spike and back. "One undead honey wasn't enough for you?" She narrowed her eyes. "William the bloody fangless," she said. "I know about you." She frowned. "I'm not sure how, though." She shrugged. "Guess that last vamp I killed told me. _He_ still had his fangs…"

Spike shrugged and gave her a toothy smile. "Anytime you want to test mine, you just let me know, Slayer Number Two." He stepped out from behind Buffy, and it was her turn to be the voice of reason.

"Drop it, Spike. The idea is to talk to her, not fight her."

"But I want to, love," he purred. "She's almost as much fun as you are."

Faith blinked her confusion, having never had a fight with Spike and only knowing about him through things others had told her. She seemed to shake off the momentary weirdness and pulled a now semi-awake Joyce closer to her. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief at seeing her mother regain consciousness and she relaxed a little.

With everyone's attention on making threats and preparing to fight if necessary, no one was actually watching Joyce very closely, including Faith. So when the empty tea kettle slammed against her head, Faith was stunned just long enough for Buffy to punch her in the face and wrench Joyce away. Leaving Spike to get Joyce away from what might quickly be a fight scene, Buffy continued to punch Faith until she had her on the floor, glaring up at her, but not fighting back anymore. As the nurse had predicted, while not as helpless as a normal human would have been, Faith was a long way from having her complete strength back, and she had no choice but to surrender.

Spike tossed her a ball of string from a basket on the counter, and Buffy quickly tied Faith's hands and feet.

"You think you can hold me with twine?" Faith sneered, pulling on her bonds.

Buffy shrugged. "For a while. It only has to hold you long enough to get you to listen to me—us. First off, where's that thing the Mayor gave you?" Buffy began searching Faith's pockets as the other slayer sputtered and tried to find out how Buffy knew about it.

"That's part of what I'm going to tell you," Buffy said. "In just a second—aha! Here it is!" She pulled out the oddly shaped metallic object and gingerly handed it to Spike. "Here, put this in a bag or something. We'll give it to Giles or Willow."

She sat back on her heels and faced the other slayer, who was now swearing vigorously.

"Wow. Potty mouth, much?" She looked over at Joyce. "Are you okay, Mom?"

"I will be," Joyce said, smiling her thanks at Spike as he handed her a bag of frozen peas. "Did she hit me in your time?"

"Yeah, I think she did. But you were all tied up and awake when I got here then."

"Get with it, Slayer. That string isn't going to hold her forever." Spike brightened. "Unless you're going to let me fight her when she gets loose."

"You already know you can beat her, so stop looking for another easy fight and help me convince her we're on her side. Sort of," she added, glaring between Faith and Joyce. "I'd forgotten about the hitting my mom part."

"Are you planning to tell her?" Joyce asked. "Is that wise?"

Buffy sighed. "At this point, I've got no idea what's wise and what isn't. But I can't let the wet works team have her, and the cops won't be able to hold her if she isn't willing to go with them. They'd have to shoot her. Maybe if everything goes right, we won't need her against the First. But we can't know that now. And she deserves a chance to do the right thing. She _is_ a slayer."

"What the fuck are you babbling about?" Faith was looking back and forth between the three other people in the room. People who obviously knew something she didn't.

"Okay, here goes. Now, just wait till I'm finished, okay? Then you can ask questions. So, here's the thing…."

When Buffy had finished a much shortened version of the events of the next three years, and the resulting planned fixes conceived of by Giles in Buffy's case, and Angel and Wes in Spike's, Faith was staring at her with narrowed eyes.

"And I'm supposed to believe this?"

"Well, you can believe or not. It won't change what it is. We're here to kill a hellgod next year, so I don't have to die, and Willow doesn't have to bring me back, and that disruption to the way things are meant to be doesn't let the First grow so strong that he tries to take over the world and Spike has to use his soul to destroy the First and Sunnydale."

"Soul?"

"Yeah. He got a soul a couple of years from now."

"Is that why you and he…. _are_ you a couple? Or just working together?"

"We're together," Buffy said. "Have been one way or another for a long time. As long as one of us wasn't dead, anyway."

For the first time, Faith's face showed some surprise. "Dead? How many times have you died?" Her curiosity seemed to be temporarily getting the best of her anger.

Buffy glanced at Spike, then thought for a second.

"Between the two of us? Four, I think. Look, that's not important. If we can do what we were sent back to do, neither one of us will have to die again. Not anytime soon, anyway."

"So, assuming I believe this crap, where am I in your timeline?"

"I think, after your little adventure being me…." Buffy glared at Faith who gave her an unrepentant grin. "I think you ran off to LA. And I'm not sure about everything that happened there, but at some point, you ended up agreeing to go to jail for the accidental killing of the Mayor's deputy. I don't know what happened exactly. You were bad, and then you were sorry and you went to jail. When the First started trying to kill you in there, Wes came to tell you we needed you here and you got out. But that's almost three years from now. And it might not happen this time."

"In which case I'll still be in jail? Uh uh. Not this girl. I've got livin' to do. Need to make up for all that time I was in a coma." She narrowed her eyes at Buffy. "You remember how that happened, don't you? You remember gutting me?"

Buffy gave her own version of a hard stare right back. "You tried to kill Angel. He was dying. I needed him and he needed your blood. I did what I had to do."

"But he didn't get my blood. Most of it ran out in that garbage truck I fell into. Why didn't he die?"

Spike's snarl made a reply unnecessary.

"Oh, Goody Two-shoes donated hers? Must be love," Faith smirked, as Spike growled again. "So where's the souled wonder now?"

"He's in L.A. He has a detective agency or something. Wes is with him, or will be soon. I'm not sure about some of it. We know who was with him in our time because Spike was there for a while, but I'm not sure what's going on now. I think you… You know what? I don't know. And I don't want to. I just know that you ended up friends with him and you went to jail. And then, when the First rose, we needed you here and you got out of jail and came."

"Is that when you and I had our little spats?" Faith said, glancing at Spike.

"Couple of 'em," he said. "Nothing special. One was a misunderstanding, one was because you—"

"Let it go," Buffy said. "None of this is going to happen if next year works out. The question is, what do we do with her now?"

"You know if I tell Angel about your new honey here, he's going to go all Angelus on you."

"He already knows," Buffy said. "We've already seen him. He doesn't know everything we told you, he thinks we have a seer telling us what to do, but he'll figure it out eventually."

"Or I could tell him."

"You could. I'd rather you didn't, but I don't think it'll matter. He has his own problems and people there in L.A. He didn't come to help us in our time, no reason to think he'll do it now."

Faith stared between them. "And in 'your time'—not that I'm buying it yet—what did William the Bloody fangless do? It's not like he could fight for you."

"Spike's chip only stopped him from hurting humans. He helped us fight Glory, kept the secret about the key—"

"Which is some sister you don't have yet." Faith sneered her disbelief at that one.

"It's complicated," Buffy said shortly, deciding there was no point in giving still-evil Faith any more information than they already had. A glance at Spike showed her he agreed completely. "The point is, by the end of next year, Spike more than demonstrated that he could be trusted—with secrets Glory was willing to torture and kill him to learn, and to fight on our side against whatever was being thrown at us. He was there when I died, and he was there when I came back. All that time I was dead, he stayed and took care of my family and helped my friends."

"What the hell for?" Faith stared at Spike with genuine confusion.

"If you don't know, there wouldn't be any use explaining it to you," Spike said softly. "You either understand, or you don't. I'm guessing you don't, but I hope that clears up for you someday." He glanced at Buffy. "Didn't you say she and Wood—"

"They were working on it. No idea what it's going to be when we get back."

"And there you go again. Talking about me like you know stuff."

"We _do_ know stuff. That's why we're here now, trying to talk you into taking a different path sooner than you did in our time. I took your body-swapping device, so that's not gonna happen. And even in our time, it didn't work. I got away from the team that was supposed to take you back to the Council for….I'm not sure—"

"Early retirement," Spike said with a hard stare at Faith. "You set Buffy up to take that fall for you." His eyes flashed amber for a few seconds and a quick look of fear crossed Faith's face before she recovered her bravado.

"So, you got away from the Council goons. Then what? What was I doing while I was you?"

"Being your usually slutty self," Buffy said. "Only with _my_ body." She glanced at Spike. "Remind again why I said we should try to save her? 'Cause I'm really losing the thread here. If I don't die, and we don't have to fight the First…."

"Your decision, love. I don't care one way or the other."

"Are you talking about killing me?" Faith suddenly took a greater interest in the conversation. "What happened to putting me on a good path and Spike having a soul?"

"Soul wouldn't stop me from killing you if I thought you were a danger to Buffy or her family. Demon's tamed a bit, but it's not gone." Spike stared at her as he spoke, his expression cold.

"Buffy!" Joyce spoke up from the far side of the kitchen. "You cannot seriously be thinking about killing Faith?"

"I'm sorry, Mom. She caused a lot of pain and destruction last year, and in our time she didn't get any better when she was here pretending to be me. I don't know what happened while she was in LA, but I don't think she suddenly grew a conscience when she reached the city limits. Who knows what she might do if we let her go?"

Faith looked from Spike's suddenly alert expression to Buffy's doubtful one. They could see Faith's thoughts reflected in her changing expression. She already knew Buffy was willing to kill her to save someone she loved. It shouldn't have been hard to believe that the slayer she thought of as soft and weak would be willing to kill her in cold blood just to save herself some future worry.

"You're different," she said to Buffy. "Harder."

"I've had a rough few years," Buffy said. "I'm not the Buffy you think you know."

"You'd do well to keep that in mind," Spike said, maintaining his icy stare. "She's not the kind-hearted girl you remember, and I'm not the fangless vamp someone told you about."

Faith's bravado never wavered, but her body relaxed and she stopped what Buffy was sure had been a steady attempt to break out of her flimsy bonds.

"So. If you let me go, I'm supposed to do what? Go to LA and throw myself on Angel's mercy? I'm the one who shot that arrow that almost killed him."

"Not the first time somethin' or somebody has tried to kill him. Probably won't be the last," Spike said with a shrug. "Not sure he'd hold that against you."

"And if he does still hold it against me, you two have clean hands 'cause you let me go," Faith said shrewdly.

"Win, win." Buffy waited to see what the other slayer was going to do.

"Do we ever like each other?" she asked Buffy, who shrugged.

"We get along better… as long as you aren't hitting on my vampire…. So, yeah, I'd say we were working on it when Giles decided to throw me right back into the worst parts of my life."

Faith shot a quick look at Spike, who just frowned and shook his head, so she wisely didn't follow up on that part of Buffy's answer.

"Fine," she said. "Let me out of here and I'll disappear, never to darken your door again—unless there's an apocalypse you can't handle."

Buffy rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Okay. We'll get you to the bus station and buy your ticket. After that, you're somebody else's problem."

 **XXXXXX**

Faith took the ticket to LA and stared back and forth between Spike and Buffy, studying them as she had the whole time walking from Revello Dr to downtown. She nodded as if to herself.

"Yep. Old Angelus is gonna go apeshit about this. Grownup Buffy has definitely moved on."

"I have. And so has he, he just doesn't know it yet."

"Damn! More stuff I don't know."

"Get on the bus, Faith. And don't come back unless or until you're invited. With luck, we won't need you, but if people start trying to kill you for no reason, might be time to think about coming back or at least calling. Just in case…"

"Got it." Without further conversation, she got on the bus and walked to the back, sprawling across the seat there. She made a rude gesture at Buffy and Spike, who were watching the bus until it pulled out of the station.

"That was almost too easy," Buffy said with a frown.

"It'll be okay, love. It may seem like it was easy, but I had no trouble reading her reactions. She'd make a lousy poker player, but I can see why that old vamp got to her."

Buffy gave him a questioning look.

"Fear, pet. She's afraid. I could almost smell it, definitely hear it in her breathing and heart rate. There's a lot of anger that flares up, but underneath it, she's got no confidence. She's afraid of you, and she's not sure she wants to try me. She won't be back."

"I wonder if I should call Angel and tell him she's coming?"

"Didn't do that in our time, did you?"

"No. She just ran away after we switched back."

"Then let her go. She'll either do whatever she did in our time to make her want to change her ways, or she won't."

"Thank you, O wise one," Buffy said, nudging his arm.

"Anytime, Slayer." He nudged her back. "What say I take you out for dinner to celebrate still being you?"

"Sounds like one of your better plans."

She smiled at him to show she didn't mean it, and he put his arm around her.

"Every now and then I come up with a good one," he said, smiling back. "Wait till you hear what I'm planning for after dinner…."


	29. Chapter 29

_So, here is the very last chapter of part I of I Would Still Have Loved You Since that title is meant to convey the message of the entire post Chosen/NFA-to-season-four-back-to-post-Chosen/NFA saga, I'm going to have to label the various parts by numbers. I've no idea at this point what that means in terms of how many parts there will be. I'd intended it to be one story, but getting them through season four ended up taking so long that it has become obvious I can't get from there through the crucial season five stuff and on up to the time they came from all in one fic. Plus, I have to do a lot of research before I begin the rest of it so I can make good decisions about what events may have already been changed by their arrival, which ones aren't important enough to do more than refer to in passing, and...most importantly, decide how they will handle Glory and what that will mean for their future relationship. It's possible I can do that in one story, but the experience of working on this one make that seem doubtful. There's a limit to how much can be summarized and/or blown off in a season without making it boring... and of course, the ultimate goal is to see what kind of a future they come back to and if they are still together..._

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

Jonathan had apparently disregarded Buffy's suggestion not to work the spell making him some sort of Sunnydale superman, but he didn't manage to keep it going for any longer than it took for Buffy and Spike to pay him a visit. After they and Giles had read the just-in-case notes they'd made for themselves, it took no time to track him down at his mansion. His expression when Buffy and Spike marched into his "office" with their intentions clear, would have been funny if they hadn't been dealing with his alternate world for part of the day. When they approached his desk, one going to either side of his chair, he blanched and began to babble his apologies.

"Fix it," Buffy said.

"Now." Spike's agreement was accompanied by a flash of fangs and a snarl.

Nodding and apologizing, Jonathan mumbled some words, and the surroundings went back to a small apartment on the edge of USC Sunnydale's campus.

"What did I tell you? Didn't you believe me?" Buffy glared at him, hands on hips.

"I do now," he said. "But how did you know?"

"I just did. I know a lot of things."

"Try to hold that thought, wanker," Spike said as they turned to leave. "We'll know what you do from now on."

"That was such a lie," Buffy giggled when they were safely outside. "We don't have any idea what he did between now and after I came back. Except that at some point, he hooks up with Warren and Andrew."

"He doesn't know that, does he? Maybe he'll stay away from the wannabe villains if he thinks you'll know what he's doing."

"Maybe. I guess we'll find out eventually."

 **XXXX**

By the time another month had gone by, evenings had settled into a quiet pattern of short Scooby meeting, more for socialization than anything slayer-related, patrols of the cemeteries, and nights spent in their apartment.

"Are you bored?" Buffy asked abruptly one evening.

Spike gave her a wary look. "What makes you ask that, love?" he said, putting down the book he'd been reading. "Are you?"

She sighed. "Maybe? A little bit? I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's almost spring already and there's no looming apocalypse to worry about."

"We've got the mother of all apocalypses coming up next year," he reminded her. "And we don't know if this year's done with us. We really don't know what else might be coming now that we've changed things a bit."

"Well, all I can remember are the weird dreams we all had—not you, obviously, but the rest of us. And the cheese guy."

"Cheese guy?"

"You had to be there," Buffy sighed. "But you're right. There might be something coming that we don't know about."

"If there is, we'll handle it. Just like we're going to handle the hellbitch when she gets here." He shrugged. "I'm kinda looking forward to that, to be honest. She's gonna have a harder time taking on both of us." He smiled at her. "And I miss the Bit. Tantrums and all, it was fun when she thought I was the best thing since sliced bread. Missed that when she decided she hated me."

"She didn't, you know," Buffy said. "She was heartbroken that you died and she never had a chance to make up with you."

"Girl had a right to—"

"She _thought_ she had a right. I let her think that way too long. It's my fault she hated you… which I don't think she really did. I think she was more… disappointed. She thought you were some kind of vampire big brother and hero, and then—"

"And then I showed her what I really am," he said flatly.

"I talked to her about it last year. She's got a better understanding now of what our… relationship… was like that year. She just never got a chance to tell you she wasn't as mad at you as she was when she said she'd set you on fire."

He snorted. "I remember that. I think your little sis might be scarier than you are."

"Well, when she gets here next year, she'll probably be crushing on you just as much as she did before. I'm not sure how knowing we're already together and without you having to take care of her a whole summer are going to affect that, but I'm sure she's still going to think you're a major hottie."

"A hottie, huh?" He stood up and came to sit by her on the couch. "Don't suppose that idea runs in the family, does it?"

Buffy pretended to think. "Well, Mom likes you… or will like you… but I don't think she'd call you a hottie."

"Was thinking more about you," he growled, running a finger down the side of her neck and smiling when she shivered. "Wantin' to know if you appreciate how hot I am."

Buffy giggled and slid her hand under his tee shirt. "Hmmm, feels more like room temperature, to me." She stroked his chest, pausing to pinch one of his nipples before sliding both hands around him to caress his back.

"Trust me, love," he said as he lifted his arms so she could push his tee-shirt off. "You are playin' with fire here, and it's about to get very hot."

"Promises, promises," she gasped as he dropped backward onto the couch, pulling her down with him.

"Indeed it is," he said. "I intend to be the hottie in your life for as long as I'm allowed to have you. Whether that's only another year or another fifty years. You're stuck with me."

"Mmmmm," Buffy responded as best she could while licking and kissing his chest. "I've been stuck worse places."

"Well there you go," he said, working on removing her clothes without disturbing her oral attack on his torso. "As places to be stuck go, this is a good one." Having worked her jeans and underwear off, he suddenly pulled her body up to his face and began his own demonstration of which of them was the true expert at using mouth and tongue.

He held her there, growling as he listened to her increasing whimpers and cries for release. Just before she seemed ready to kill him, he let his fangs down and nicked the little body part he'd been working so hard. Buffy's muffled scream accompanied his vigorous sucking as he tasted as much of her blood as he could from just a tiny hole. Only when she'd stopped quivering did he release his bite and allow her to slide down on top of him where she lay breathing heavily.

"You alright, love?" he asked when she hadn't moved yet.

"I'll let you know," she mumbled into his chest. "When I can feel my body again." She felt his chuckle again her cheek and turned her head to nuzzle against him. "You bit me, didn't you?"

"Maybe… depends. Would it make you mad?"

"Maybe. If it hadn't felt so good."

"But it did, didn't it?"

"Boy howdy," she said with happy sigh.

He snorted a laugh and hugged her tightly. "That's all that matters, then. As long as it pleased you, I'm happy."

"I'll bet if we take this to the bedroom, I can make you even happier," she said, sitting up on him and smiling down. She looked from his bare chest to her own still covered one, and from her naked bottom half to his still fastened jeans. "We just need to get our naked parts matching."

He nudged his hips up, saying, "I can reach my zipper from here." He matched words to actions and slipped his hand between them to undo his pants and pull out his cock to rub it against her. Without any conversation, she raised up just far enough for him to find her entrance and slide inside. They gave matching sighs and exchanged smiles.

"See. We're fine the way we are."

She wriggled on him, laughing when his eyes rolled back in his head. "But I _like/_ you naked."

"Later," he growled, holding her hips still.

"Okay, later," she agreed as she began to move on him. "We've got lots of time to be naked together."

"That we do," he agreed, falling into her rhythm. "Lots of time."

As they carried their actions to a logical conclusion, neither one of them was willing to consider the alternative that might await them in the new future they were creating.

 **The End**

 _To be continued in a new story taking place in season five._


End file.
